By Lance Mindheim

Price: Forever Free PRINTER-FRIENDLY Edition January 2012

- Columbia River N Scale club - Scratchbuilding a car float - Passenger car truck conversion - MRH looks at RailPro and lots more, inside ...

Lance Mindheim builds Photo-laminated structures

Page 1 • Jan 2012 MRH Front cover Front Cover: Lance Mindheim’s HO scene shows us how some clever photo-lamination techniques can produce stunningly realistic model scenes. This is truly an MRH “Yes, it’s a model!” photo by Lance Mindheim.

ISSN 2152-7423

Editorial Staff Joe D. Fugate, Publisher Charlie Comstock, Editor MRH sponsors Columnists Richard Bale, News and events John Drye, N scale Remember to tell them: “MRH sent me!” Les Halmos, Modular railroading Lew Matt, Narrow gauge and shortlines Bruce Petrarca, DCC Learn about becoming a Sponsoring Advertiser! Need something? See our Hobby Marketplace! Special Correspondents Jim Duncan, Layouts and operations Byron Henderson, Layouts and track planning Production Patty Fugate, pasteup and layout Joe Brugger, copy editing Mike Dodd, copy editing Technical Assistant Jeff Shultz Advertising Account Manager Les Halmos MRH Sponsoring Advertisers get extra benefits such as For more model railroading products, including hard-to-find logo placement and visibility with the MRH web audience items, our Hobby Marketplace is on page 56. (50,000+ in Nov 2011). Click here to get started!

Page 2 • Jan 2012 MRH Masthead and Sponsors Page 3 • Jan 2012 MRH Advertisement Visit BLMA website Page 4 • Jan 2012 MRH Advertisement Visit Walthers website Page 5 • Jan 2012 MRH Advertisement Visit ExactRail website Table of Main Features contents Columns

52 First Look: RailPro system 79 Simple car card system 23 Peninsula construction! MRH expanded First Look, with video! A single card per train does it all Up the Creek by Charlie Comstock HO by Jeff Shultz All scales by Tom Driscoll

58 First Look: ESU car lighting 82 Build a railcar barge 34 Time to run trains? LED lighting for passenger cars How to build a rail barge step-by-step Getting Real by Mike Rose HO by Jeff Shultz All scales by M.C. Fujiwara

60 Photo-laminated structures 90 Columbia River N Scale club 43 Wired decoder Achieving amazing structure realism Consistent modules following a prototype installation, part 1 by Charlie Comstock DCC Impulses All scales by Lance Mindheim N by Bruce Petrarca

75 Rivarossi 4 to 6 wheel conversion Modeler’s workbench: Easy how-to 101 January Model by Jim Duncan Railroading News HO MRH News and Events by Richard Bale Other Features 113 MRH, the three-year- old toddler 8 Sharing our passion 16 MRH Q - A - T Reverse Running Editor’s Soapbox by Charlie Comstock Questions, Answers and Tips by Joe Fugate 56 Hobby Marketplace 11 MRH Staff Notes MRH is three! 115 Derailments – Humor? 14 Subscriber-only extras Bonus downloads

Page 6 • Jan 2012 MRH Table of contents - Features Page 7 • Jan 2012 MRH Advertisement Visit this website EDITOR’S SOAPBOX: Sharing Our Passion Good things get better with friends ...

But because this is my column, I’m However I think even the nicest look- Reader going to tell you what I think. ing, most complete, layout isn’t really About the Feedback complete unless trains are running on it. (click here) I really like building things. That’s been Editor Did you notice the plural there – trains? true since my Erector Set and Lincoln While possible, it’s definitely hard to run y the time you read this, Log days. Apparently I have a creative more than one train at a time (unless Christmas will have come and streak that won’t let me sit still. Later on you’re into automated computer train gone. Some folks like to predict that streak turned me into a software what the new year will bring, but I’m control). The easiest way to run mul- designer. Yeah, I know, you can’t really Bgoing to resist that urge. Instead, I’d tiple trains at one time is with the help “see” software, but programming is like everyone who’s reading this to of a friend or two, or 16. definitely building stuff. Eventually, the reflect on the things that make our I believe model trains and the layouts genes that lit up when I received my hobby so great. we run them on are meant for shar- first 4x4 piece of plywood with a circle ing. Sharing construction with some Some say it’s the fact that our trains of HO track on it reasserted themselves trusted friends. Sharing operation with move. Others say it’s because of all and I started building “serious” model “the gang.” Sharing ideas with whoever the skills you pick up while building railroad layouts. will listen in the basement, down at the layouts. Yet more like the creativity Having a dad who showed me how to club, at the local hobby shop, or even Charlie Comstock has been a involved. Still others are sure the fel- run the tools in his shop undoubtedly (gasp) on a model railroad forum. regular columnist, author, and editor lowship we get with other modelers is helped me learn the necessary wood of Model Railroad Hobbyist what makes it great. Getting together with like-minded Magazine since its inception. working skills, and all the Heathkits people (also known as train nuts, in our All of these are great reasons why (remember those?) I built as a young case) is really a great way to use our To learn more about Charlie, model railroading is a way cool hobby. teen helped with wiring. hobby time. Notice, I’m not suggesting click here.

Page 8 • Jan 2012 MRH Editorial, page 1 disappearing into the basement and I dare you to reach out a little. And if abandoning your wife, children, or you feel like it, post your results on household responsibilities! the forum. When talking to hobby But there’s another dimension. We tend to share our hobby mostly with train believers. “I believe I’ll go over to Fred’s vendors, please remember house and see how he’s doing on that turntable installation” or “I believe I’ll give Joe a call and ask for help with gap- to mention MRH. ping a double return loop.”

What happens when we go beyond our circle of “believer” friends and ven- ture out into the great un-trained (pun intended) masses? Is there a kid you know in the neighborhood? Invite him (or her) over to see the trains. Don’t restrict “kid” to the under-16 crowd either – I’ve known many who were much closer to the century mark.

Sharing can be as simple as “Ya wanna take a look-see at my model trains?” to “My club is sponsoring a day of layout tours and clinics on model railroading. I’d love to have some company?”

Or “I’m one of those nut case adults that still plays with toy trains. I’m having a dozen guys over tonight to run my model railroad like it was the real thing. I have it on good authority that everyone has had their rabies shot and taken a shower recently. Why don’t you come along and see what makes model railroading great?”

Who knows, you might meet a great new friend, introduce someone to a wonderful hobby, or just add some fun to an otherwise unremarkable day.

Page 9 • Jan 2012 MRH Editorial, page 2 Visit Dallas MW website Visit Con-Cor website Page 10 • Jan 2012 MRH Advertisement Visit Fast Tracks website Notes from the Did television eliminate radio? No. days favors digital, and as the mobile Have DVDs eliminated movie the- Internet gains momentum, any aters? No. remaining barriers to consuming digital media are coming down. MRH Staff In both examples, the new media form greatly altered the market and For example, a common complaint how media is produced, but the new MRH turns 3, Lew Matt on the modeling forums against MRH medium did not eliminate the old one. update, Survey Reminder, is “I can’t read it in my easy chair, in

Standard or Embedded? bed, or in the bathroom. I also can’t There’s no question the econom- read it when I’m on the go.” Figure 1: Reading MRH on an ics of paper publishing keep get- Reader ting tougher. Just look at the recent iPad and an iPhone. You can also Well, I can read MRH in my easy chair, Feedback demise of Model Railroad News. (click here) read MRH quite well on the new in bed, in the bathroom, and on the Amazon Kindle Fire (not shown). Paper will continue in some cases, but go. In fact, I can take the entire MRH been and where we see hobby pub- the scope and breadth will be forever collection since we started in 2009 MRH gets three candles lishing going. altered as digital media become ever with me – it’s at my fingertips! more accessible by individuals. Model Railroad Hobbyist is three Let’s get one question settled imme- I do this using my iPad. I can do this years old! It’s appropriate we stop diately. Do we see paper publishing I don’t think anyone would question on our $199 Kindle Fire. I can even and take a look at where we’ve going away? No. the economics of publishing these read MRH on my iPhone! ADVERTISEMENT

Page 11 • Jan 2012 MRH MRH Staff Notes, page 1 Visit Southern Digital website MRH is about giving you instant access recently with acute liver failure, which By not embedding the media in the to hobby resources. That means free, is very serious. PDF file, we can also use an older well-vetted how to articles, illustrated version of the Adobe PDF standard, Fortunately, after many tests and a with video and interactive media (like which makes the Standard Edition number of surgeries, Lew is on the our click-n-spins) and live hyperlinks to more likely to work on more machines mend and his liver’s back doing its usual resources. without a problem. good job again. And it also means, among other things, instant one-click access to ven- We appreciate your prayers and get well The Embedded Edition uses more dor web sites that have products you wishes for Lew. We’re likewise thrilled bells and whistles, and works best on need for your modeling projects. to see he’s doing so well and we’re look- a PC. You can get the Embedded edi- ing forward to having him back to his tion to work on a Mac as well, but it typical good-natured self soon! messes up your Mac’s standard PDF preview function if you’re not care- Standard or Embedded? ful. So we don’t recommend the Embedded Edition for use on Macs by Every so often we get people who ask mere mortals! December’s ratings us what the difference is between the Standard and Embedded edition. Finally, because the Embedded The five top-rated articles in the Edition is always expected to be a December 2011 issue of MRH are: In short, one has all the media much larger download with all the 4.6 Signs for your buildings embedded in it (which makes for a much larger download) and the other embedded media, we also use a 4.6 Upper Bear Creek gets water has the media on the web – like the higher resolution on the photos in 4.5 DCC Impulses - Layout wiring videos are on YouTube, for instance. the issue. 4.5 Modeling a flat car load By leaving the media on the web, the Figure 2 shows a sample of an ad 4.3 The 35 dollar challenge, pt 3 download is a lot smaller, but you image blown up so you can see the Issue overall: 4.5 need an active internet connection if difference between the photo image you want to view the media. quality in the two editions. Please rate the articles in each issue! We depend on your feedback to help us plan future issue content. If you’re not ratingthe articles and you wish we’d cover something different, your rating can alert us to this wish. Update on Lew Matt Lew missed the column deadline for this issue, with good reason. If you Figure 2: This illustrates the image quality of the Embedded edition versus frequent the MRH web site, then the Standard edition. Both images have been zoomed to 200%. Notice the you know Lew landed in the hospital Embedded edition image quality holds up much better.

Page 12 • Jan 2012 MRH MRH Staff Notes, page 2 Visit MynaBay website Reader survey reminder take you to Mapquest for the shop and you’re all set to get directions to We’ve been running a survey since the shop. November to find out how and why you, our readers, access and read Very nice! MRH. If you didn’t know we have this fea- We’dlike to know which devices you ture on the MRH web site, now you use to read MRH, whther you’re know. downloading to multiple devices, Just go to Community > Hobbyshops and so on. We’re also asking why you read MRH and what points you might and voila! make if recommending MRH to a In this issue new modeler. As mentioned previously, Lew Matt These answers will help us plan has no column in this issue. But we MRH’s direction in 2012 and beyond, have some other great columns for and what to tell visitors to our you this month. website about why to become a subscriber. Up the Creek: Charlie Comstock’s making sawdust in his basement Sure, we’re free, but the value we again! For several years now, provide to you, our readers, better Charlie’s been hosting op sessions be more than the zero cover price, or using just the along-the-walls part of we’re just heading down a dead-end his layout plan. He’s using a tempo- spur at run 8! rary flattop staging yard on his west Figure 3: With MRH’s hobby shop finder, just click on any state that’s So please take the survey – it end where the track would run out purple with the state abbreviation and we’ll jump to a listing of the hobby shouldn’t take you more than 10 into the helix and onto the peninsula shops in that state that promote MRH. Click on the shop listing to get minutes. in the middle of the room. Mapquest driving directions to the shop. The listings are free, so if your favorite shop’s not listed, go tell them to sign up for a free MRH listing! Our web hobbyshop finder Well the peninsula construction has started, and Charlie shares his usual DCC Impulses: Our DCC guru, Bruce First Looks: Jeff Shultz outdid him- You may not be aware we have a clever benchwork engineering tech- Petrarca, wades into the ins and outs self this issue with a couple of hobby shop finder on our web site! niques for this project. of hard-wired DCC decoder instal- great product First Looks. Jeff did Hobby shops that promote MRH (ask lation in his column this time. He an extended First Look on the new for some free flyers for your counter if Getting Real: Our Getting Real guest covers the essential planning of the paradigm-changing RailPro system. you’re a hobby shop owner who’s not columnist, Mike Rose, is back with installation in part 1. Bruce’s column It uses a touch screen throttle and listed), are listed. another installment on his layout op session learnings. Mike isn’t bash- gets rave reviews from readers. We direct to the loco wireless communi- Consistent with what you’d expect on ful about sharing the good, the bad, think you’ll agree, this installment cation so the signal no longer needs the internet, clicking a state takes you and the ugly of his op session les- continues Bruce’s tradition of giving to go through the tracks. You still to the hobby shops for that state, and sons learned, all to the benefit of you practical DCC how-to information need track power for the motor, but if you click the hobby shop name, we you, our readers! you can sink your teeth into. the system can run on anything, DCC

Page 13 • Jan 2012 MRH MRH Staff Notes, page 3 January 2012 Premium Extras! or DC. Jeff tells you all about it, com- you know about M. C. Fujiwara’s plete with a deluxe demo video. fabulous posts on his N scale layout Available to subscribers! pursuits. In this article M.C. shows Jeff also shares the details of a new us step-by-step how he build a great LED passenger car lighting kit from Door samples from Lance Mindheim article ESU. Modern LED technology is mak- little rail barge car float. ing inroads in a lot of areas, and this Columbia River N scale modular DVD and HD quality versions of: is an interesting use of LEDs for mod- group: This issue has three (count Simple card system ops example eling purposes. them, three) modeling articles that Photo-laminated structures: Lance use N scale layouts as the illustra- Columbia River N scale modular club Mindheim’s cover story illustrates the tion. This group’s modular layout has simple power of modern digital pho- the added bonus it’s got a coherent tography and tools like Photoshop for theme, making it a real visual delight. modelers. If you can get decent pho- January News: The amount of new tos of a prototype structure, then you Click here to access product coming to the market has can use some clever bas relief tech- never been more varied and amazing. niques to make a model that will sim- Layout tours – Trackwork – Structures – News – We’re not sure how our news edtor ply knock your socks off with realism. Lance show you how it’s done in our Richard Bale manages to keep up with Track Planning – Benchwork – Electronics – Nar- cover story this issue. it all, but his news is complete with nice images, hyperlinks and more. row Gauge – Humor – Contrarian Opinions – New Rivorassi 4 to 6 wheel conversion: Jim With today’s limited run approach to techniques – DCC – Modular modeling – Model- Duncan shows you some simple tech- releasing models, the news section niques for changing out the 4-wheel should be required reading! ing water – Roads – Ballast – Multi-deck designs – trucks on a Rivarassi passenger car and replacing them with 6-wheel Reverse Running: While we’re thrilled Small layouts – Weathering – First looks – Rolling trucks. This is our new “Modeler’s MRH has reached the ripe old age stock – Signals – Curvature guidelines – Clickable Workbench” series, which you can of 3, the Reverse Running this times think of as a beefier version of our takes a look at the perils of getting ad links – Video – Operation – Prototype model- popular one-evening project series. overconfident with our success to Subscribe Now! date at this still tender age. We’re ing – Lighting – MRH forum – Interactive reader Simple car card system: Tom Driscoll asking for you, our readers, to help in shares how he developed a simple feedback – Questions Answers and Tips – Upcom- making sure we don’t fall flat on our car card system for running the trains  ing event listings – Tunnel liners – Building signs – on his N scale layout, the TJ&H. Tom’s face in the future! system uses a single car per train, Modeling the Modern Era – Critters – The Scenery giving you all the instructions needed to run the train and do the switching Scene – Painting equipment – Rolling stock tuning along its route. Reader – The Tool Shed – Layout owner interviews – Show Feedback Build a car rail barge: If you’re a (click here) floor coverage – Static grass guns – Kitbashing – regular on the MRH web site, then LED lighting – Scratch building – Highway stripes

Page 14 • Jan 2012 MRH MRH Staff Notes, page 4 Page 15 • Jan 2012 MRH Advertisement Visit Digitrax website Figure 1: Joe Fugate uses Leviton MRH porcelain sockets spaced 24” apart on his Siskiyou Line layout Questions, Answers for lighting. Joe puts 15-watt and 25-watt bulbs in the sockets. and Tips Figure 2: Here’s the same area on the layout in figure 1 above, to show how the scene itself looks when using this lighting method.

Another option is what Cliff Powers did on his Magnolia Route, see: magnoliaroute.com/magnolia_route_132.htm. A recent discussion on the MRH fo- Reader rum (see mrhmag.com/node/6510) revealed a new pre-wired set of light Feedback Figure 1 (click here) sockets in 48 and 96 foot lengths, spaced 24” apart – perfect! These plug in, so they have more lax code require- QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS You have several options for the light ments and make wiring the layout sockets themselves. On my HO Sis- valance light sockets quite straightfor- Q: What’s the best way to light a kiyou Line, I’m using Leviton porcelain ward: layout if you want the ability to dim sockets, spaced 24” apart (figures 1 the lights for night running? http://www.partylights.com/Strings- and 2). Depending on the depth of the Bulbs/CommercialStringers-Medium A: While you can use fluorescent scene, I use a mix of 15 watt and 25 “shop light” tube fixtures, getting watt incandescent bulbs. By keeping Party Lights also sells the 15 watt and dimmable fixtures can be costly, and the wattage low, I don’t have a prob- 25 bulbs. these days you have many other lem with room heat buildup, and I can Besides low-wattage incandescent light options. Yes, LEDs are coming, but easily dim the lights using an adjust- bulbs, you can also use dimmable CFLs. they’re new, and the jury’s still out on able dimming light switch. using them for layout lighting. Plus A great source for every kind of dim- LEDs are still novel and not cheap. I like these little guys because you sim- mable CFL you can imagine is the 1000 ply unscrew the collar, wire in the sock- Bulbs website (see www.1000bulbs. One good option is to go with low- et, and screw on the collar. The wire com). They sell dimmable CFLs in the wattage incandescent lights or with connection is covered and protected. 15-30 watt equivalent range for $9-$11 dimmable compact fluorescent lights a bulb. (CFLs). If you wire the lighting valance Just Google “Leviton porcelain socket with standard screw light sockets that 9880” and pick the best price. If you These dimmable CFL’s aren’t cheap, can be plugged in, wiring codes are order several at a time, you can save but if you start with incandescents and more flexible. on shipping. slowly replace them with CFLs, you can Figure 2

Page 16 • Jan 2012 MRH MRH Questions, Answers, and Tips, page 1 again. I use this method to assemble plastic models to check for fit and to see what everything looks like before final gluing.

I had a plastic boxcar “temporarily” glued together for eight years as an extreme example. It is easy to take ev- Figure 3: These pre-wired party erything apart with minimal force, and lights come in strings 48 feet any pieces of glue still adhering may be or 96 feet long and spaced 24” removed by rubbing. apart, just perfect for model rail- Beware however, that paper and wood road lighting! will be glued permanently with this get up and going, all-the-while evolving technique! — Lew Matt A to a long-term lighting solution based D on dimmable CFLs. V Q: Before the advent of the center- — Joe Fugate and the MRH forum E beam flatcar for the transportation R of lumber and plywood, what type T Q: How can I temporarily glue a of freight car did the railroads use to I plastic model together so that it can transport these items? I assume it S be taken apart later without too was some type of boxcar to protect E much damage? the lumber and plywood from the M weather. E A: For semi-permanent assemblies, I N use office paper rubber cement. The A: The ubiquitous 40-foot box car T cement solvent does not seem to af- was used for lumber loading into the fect any of the typical plastics in the 1960s. Some had a small end door hobby, but it may attack some paints. for access. Because most dimensional (Side note: I have actually used rubber lumber is 10 feet long or less, the com- cement thinner to remove lettering, mon six-foot door wasn’t as big an and after a long soak, the paint.) obstacle as you might think.

I apply a thin coat of glue to each plas- Two-man crews loaded 40-foot box tic part and allow it to dry to the “just cars one piece at a time through the sticky” stage, then place the pieces side door, one in the car and the other together. sending lumber into the car on a roller. You have no leeway to adjust or reposi- Pitch and catch. A forklift brought lum- tion; if you must move the parts, you’ll ber to the car according to what was need to start the gluing process over ordered.

Page 17 • Jan 2012 MRH MRH Questions, Answers, and Tips, page 2 Visit Frenchman River website The cars were under cover, as the lum- That’s where staging comes in. Staging ber was kiln-dried and planed. is simply storage for trains that are to enter our layout “from the rest of the Beams and timber were loaded on flat network” or for trains that are leav- cars on another siding in the open. ing our layout onto the rest of that MEC573 reports loading bundles of network. 4x8 laminated strand board onto 40’ It’s been called the “beyond-the-base- and 50’ boxcars at Louisiana-Pacific ment” concept. in New Limerick, Maine in 1995, with never a center-beam car in sight. The trick is to figure out how many trains you want to run on your layout The complete thread, with informa- in a typical operating session. Once tion on more recent lumber load- you know that, then you can ask:

ing practices, is at mrhmag.com/ A node/5605 Where does the train originate? On D the layout or off the layout (from V — Joe Brugger, Terry Roberts, and the staging)? E MRH forum R Where does the train terminate? T On the layout or off the layout (in I Q: I am planning the staging for my staging)? S layout and I’m unsure how much E staging I need. I know about Tony Once you know how many trains you M Koester’s 2n+1 staging formula, but think you will be running, and where E does that really work? Please help! they originate or terminate, deter- N mining your staging requirements T A: One of the great developments becomes a fairly easy problem to solve. out of the famous V&O series from the 1980s is the concept of staging. Tony Koester’s 2n+1 formula is a Let’s review how staging works for tongue-in-cheek way of saying don’t a moment, so we better understand underplan the staging you will need. the problem. Often understanding Because not all trains in staging will the problem gets you halfway to the be on the layout yet, staging should solution. always leave room to receive trains as well as store trains waiting to enter the Most real-world railroads are part of layout. a larger network. Our model railroads typically represent one small piece of If you ever decide later you would like that larger network, so it makes sense to run a new train, and if you haven’t that we somehow model the “rest of allowed for room in staging, you could the network” as a source or destina- find that staging has become a major tion for our trains. constraint because it’s already full.

Page 18 • Jan 2012 MRH MRH Questions, Answers, and Tips, page 3 Visit MTH Trains website If you double the train capacity in stag- more track just to make sure you have and they don’t tell the whole story. Join the Layout Design Special Interest ing over what you think you will need, an open staging track! Tools are assists, not a straight-jacket. Group and get as many of their back then it’s likely you won’t find yourself issues as you can, especially the yard- Okay, so what if you don’t have any As long as you keep in mind that these constrained later as you adjust the planning issue. idea how many trains you might want formulas are for insight and to aid in lay- train mix on your operating layout. to run, or even how many trains your out planning, they can be helpful. They Get yourself a copy of John Armstrong’s The plus-one in Tony’s formula contains track plan might support? are not the end-all-be-all in planning. Track Planning for Realistic Operation a bit of staging track wisdom that may I’ve got a layout formula process I’ve One thing that’s often true about and read it through. Once you’ve read it not be obvious until you have some developed that helps you determine those who struggle with track planning completely, then read it again. model railroad operations experience. how many trains a track plan can sup- is they have little or no realistic op ses- Once you can look at a track plan and The plus-one is a reminder to always port, and can give you the insights sion experience. If that’s you, then you start to see in your mind what the trains leave one staging track open to receive you need to make informed decisions don’t really know what those lines on a are doing on those lines, then you will a train, while keeping the staging yard about staging, as well as the mix of track plan are for. be equipped to design a layout that’s fluid. If you always have a staging track industries, yard tracks, and passing sid- Real railroads don’t put track down just fun to operate and will truly satisfy. open, then staging can send or receive a ings on your layout. because it adds variety, looks cool, or train and remains fully functional. Also check out this thread on the MRH I call it Layout Design Analysis and I might be fun to operate. Every track website: mrhmag.com/node/6306 A staging area with no open tracks has explain the process here. Like any tool has a purpose. To help you in your track lost 50% of its value, so always add one that uses statistics, it’s only numbers planning pursuits, do a couple things: — Joe Fugate ADVERTISEMENT

Page 19 • Jan 2012 MRH MRH Questions, Answers, and Tips, page 4 Visit Nano Oil website ADVERTISEMENT

ing him in many of the illustrated with some fantastic modeling, tasks. M.C. also has an ar- and this thread is no exception. ticle in this issue on building a railroad car barge. Merit of modular layouts? mrhmag.com/node/6562 TIPS Narrow gauge layout ex- pansion project If you like lots of pro and con discussion If you don’t visit the MRH web site at mrhmag.com/node/5117 around an approach to building a layout least once in a while, you are missing (with a little heated debate thrown in) Master Modeler Wolfgang Dudler is a out on some helpful, fun content. then this thread is for you. Turntable dust cover frequent poster to the MRH site and his Here’s a few of the better threads on Silver Valley RR thread is great fun. Both protect and keep dust-free: I the MRH site as of this writing. Watching a layout design develop mrhmag.com/node/6618 have the large Walthers HO 130’ pro- grammed turntable. It’s about 19” N scale modular project Truck dumps, tipples and prep plants Ever wanted to watch a track plan edge-to-edge. Walther’s encourages mrhmag.com/node/5666 mrhmag.com/node/6643 develop from concept to the final plan? keeping the pit clean and frequent com- M. C. Fujiwara has a delightful N scale You may recognize Tom Patterson as Then this thread on Rob Proctor’s in- ments from users on forums are that blog on this innovative modular project. the author of the November 2011 cover development layout plan is for you. it must be kept clean to ensure proper Well-illustrated with images, it’s a real story on kitbashing a Central Valley Learn some good insight on how to fit a operation. And of course, a basement is delight to see his young daughter help- bridge. Tom’s posts are always well plan into a room from this thread! not the cleanest environment.

Page 20 • Jan 2012 MRH MRH Questions, Answers, and Tips, page 5 Visit RailMaster website GET $25 PER TIP

We pay $25 USD for each tip we publish. So send in your modeling tips to Model Railroad Hobbyist and we’ll get your payment to you upon acceptance. Just think, for only a few minutes effort, you could fund your next piece of rolling stock – or even pay for an entire train if you send in several tips and we publish them! If you include any photos with your I used to cover the turntable with plas- tip, we pay a bonus of $10 per photo A tic bags or other makeshift covers -- it we use with the tip.  D looked bad and was hard to put on or V take off without damaging things. E I like that the turntable is clearly vis- R My wife, Cheryl, suggested using a deli ible when the cover is on. I can eas- T food tray cover from the grocery store. ily lift the cover off with the little tab I on the cover when I will be using the S We went to our local Jewel Food Store turntable and roundhouse. It is very E easy to put back on without damaging M and got their deli’s largest food tray E anything. cover. It measures about 18.5 inches in N diameter and about 4.5 inches tall. It is This size should also work for turn- T really quite sturdy and clear plastic. It tables from other vendors, as well cost us only 50 cents and it is perfect! as smaller turntables. However, It covers the pit completely, except there are smaller sizes of these cov- for a small part of the very outer ers so maybe one of those would edges. It rests on the rails so there is work better for shorter turntables a slight 1/8” or so gap on the bottom. or in other scales. I find the gap inconsequential, but an — Kenneth D. Kalitowski industrious individual might cut slots in the cover for the rails to eliminate the gap. Reader The 4-1/2” depth gives plenty of room Feedback for the turntable itself, both length- (click here) wise and height-wise.

Page 21 • Jan 2012 MRH MRH Questions, Answers, and Tips, page 6 Visit Traintek website Page 22 • Jan 2012 MRH Advertisement Visit Amherst Show website UP THE CREEK: Peninsula Construction! A regular report on the construction of a 1950s-something layout Part 1 - After a 3-year hiatus, peninsula construction has recommenced on About our the Bear Creek & South Jackson. The first step is building the helix ... layouts columnist

Charlie Comstock became the MRH editor in the March 2011 issue.

Click here to learn more about Charlie. Figure 1

don’t know how many of you electronic design automation com- Figure 1: The first project tack- have experienced that sink- pany. I guess sometimes it doesn’t pay led before connecting the penin- ing feeling in your stomach that to finish your project. sula to the rest of the layout was comes when your boss calls you into the helix. This will be a two-lap, Ihis office for a meeting, closes the The good news was I suddenly had a dual track helix with a 40” inner door, and you know something bad lot more time to devote to my layout radius and 43” outer radius with is going to happen. Three years ago and to MRH which was preparing for railhead to railhead separation Reader I found out what that’s like when I Issue #1 – January 2009. Bad news was of 4-1/4” providing access to the Feedback was laid off from my nice job as a I suddenly found myself without an main staging area on the lower (click here) senior software engineer at a leading income in a very uncertain economy deck of the peninsula.

Page 23 • Jan 2012 MRH Up the Creek column, page 1 in which an almost 60-something pro- Figure 2: Cleaning up has to be one of grammer didn’t have an easy time my least favorite parts of model railroad- finding new work. ing. The 8’x 8’ helix table demonstrates the tendency of horizontal surfaces to Prior to this, I’d been going gang- collect an excess amount of stuff. It all busters working on the BC&SJ’s pen- had to go to make room for the helix. insula. The basic benchwork was in place as was the support table for the helix. And there it sat for three years while I worked on other projects, mostly scenery, for which I had most of the supplies already on hand. I also wrote a lot of articles for MRH. Enough is enough Figure 2 A few months ago, I decided enough Figure 3: It’s a miracle. The helix table is once was enough, and it was time to get again visible, and I got it done before Joe (left) construction going again. The lure of and Mike (right) arrived to the first helix party more than doubling the run of the (or is that “work session”). “bare creek” was strong. Figure 4: The first helix session we carefully I called up some friends and asked if measured where the center of the helix would Figure 3 they were interested in some work be, and drilled a small hole, just sessions. Foolish question – three the size of a 6d finishing nail, and sheets of plywood later benchwork made a trammel to mark the inner progress was visible again. helix roadbed edge, outer edge, and track centers. We actually Starting with the helix wore out a ballpoint pen doing After a discussion we decided the this. I guess BICs aren’t what first project to tackle was the helix. they used to be! The result of this The top of the helix would connect step was a set of pretty circles to the existing portion of the layout, telling us where the helix would and was therefor elevation critical. It be located. would be a big mistake to build the peninsula first and only then discover I’ve been thinking for a long time whether it was the right height. about how I wanted to build the Much better to start close to where helix. I figured using all-thread, the peninsula would meet the exist- long 3/8” diameter rods threaded ing layout and ensure things would over their entire length, to support be “on the level”. the helix roadbed would be good, Figure 4

Page 24 • Jan 2012 MRH Up the Creek column, page 2 offering infinite adjustability. The elevation where the tracks arrive on main staging area is designed on the “real” layout. Railhead to rail- a balloon loop on the lower deck head separation would be 4-1/4” for of the peninsula. A double track grades of about 1.5% and 1.7% for helix with the inner track operating the inner and outer tracks. “downward”, and outer track (with a slightly shallower grade) operating Helix segments “upward” was part of the original Fitting helix segments on a 4x8 sheet of plywood. I toyed with the idea of using splines track plan (see the discussion in MRP for the helix, but keeping a precise My original plan is on the left. Unfortunately it 2004). I decided to space the track radius with splines is tricky and there’s had the grain of the outer plywood laminations centers 3” apart to eliminate clear- nothing to catch derailing equipment. across the helix segments. ance problems for long wheelbase Plywood was the alternative. Home Joe Brugger came up with the plan on the right. equipment passing on the two tracks. The grain is closer to lengthwise. Depot had a special on “cabinet Two laps are required to get from grade” fir plywood. At $25 per sheet Inner and outer radii are 37” and 46” respectively. the 36” elevation of staging on the it was much less expensive than their Figure 5 peninsula’s lower level to the 48” Text continues on page 27 Figure 5: How to fit the maximum number of helix segments possible on a 4x8 plywood sheet. Figure 6: Using the trammel to make a 1/4” hardboard template for the helix segments. Figure 7: Marking helix segments using the template is a lot less work than swinging a trammel for each piece.

Figure 6 Figure 7

Page 25 • Jan 2012 MRH Up the Creek column, page 3 Figure 8: After three years of construction inactivity, sawdust production commenced with Mike and Joe slicing a lot of helix segments. Figure 9: Here’s one of the “special” pieces for the top and bottom of the helix. Figure 8 The flare will let us put all- thread in “nice” locations instead of spreading them too far apart and drilling them through the center of the track below. A D Figure 10: We did our cut- V ting in the garage to keep E dust out of the train room. R Back in the basement, Mike T Talviste is fitting some helix I segments to the helix loca- S tion circles we drew earlier E Figure 9 on the helix table. M E N T

Figure 10

Page 26 • Jan 2012 MRH Up the Creek column, page 4 Visit Iwata website Text continued from page 25 I bought three sheets of the cabinet hardwood plywood and it wasn’t as grade plywood the afternoon before badly warped as the other fir plywood the work session and it was still in the they stocked. I decided to go with 3/4” back of the pickup truck. It seemed thick helix roadbed. easiest to just use the truck as a workbench (figure 7 and 9)! After tracing The next decision was how to cut the plywood to make the helix roadbed the outlines of a bunch of helix seg- segments. Using straight pieces bev- ments, out came the Porter Cable eled at the ends would make the most saber saw and sawdust production efficient use of a sheet, but I wasn’t commenced. very keen on all the angles and the “points” sticking out would interfere Although most of the helix segments are the same size and shape, I wanted with adjacent tracks. A the segments at the top and the bot- D Finally it occurred to me, why not use tom to have flare to them. This would V arcs of plywood instead of straight allow better location of the all-thread E pieces? No corners, no angles, and support rods during assembly (figures R easy to figure out how wide they 8 and 10). T should be. I spent some time in 3rd I Planit and made a pleasant discovery S Joining the segments E – I could fit eight helix segments onto M a sheet of plywood with relatively Unfortunately using 3/4” plywood for E little wastage (figure 5). Construction helix roadbed reduces the clearance N buddy (and MRH copy editor) Joe between helix laps for the trains. With T Brugger came up with an even bet- a 4-1/4” railhead-to-railhead separa- ter way to fit those eight segments on tion, the roadbed and track thickness the plywood and it was time to make reduces the clearance by about 7/8” some sawdust. leaving only 3-3/8” above the railheads Rather than measure each segment on the lower lap. That’s enough to individually, Mike Talviste insisted we clear any equipment I could foresee – should make a template from a piece my 85’ hi-cube clearance testing cars of 1/4” hardboard. Then we could had a LOT of headroom with this. trace around its edges for each helix segment – much faster than using a But if I glued 3/4” plywood splice trammel to hand draw each piece on plates under the helix segment the plywood. It pays to have friends joints, clearance would be drastically like these! Figures 6 and 7 show mak- reduced. I could use thinner splice ing and using the template. plates but was there another way?

Page 27 • Jan 2012 MRH Up the Creek column, page 5 Visit Scenic Express website Have a biscuit! Woodworkers who make furniture sometimes need to join multiple pieces of wood edge to edge. Just gluing such a joint would not be terribly strong. In fact it would be quite weak so they resort to biscuits (figure 11).

Figure 11: Counter-clockwise from the left: biscuit joiner, jar of Figure 11 Figure 14 hardwood biscuits, the end of a helix segment prepared for three biscuits, and a few extra biscuits. cutter blade adjustable about 3” in Figure 12: The business end of blade the biscuit joiner. The “table” in diameter height my hand rests on the surface of support table what’s being joined to guide the vertical depth of the cuts. Figure 13: The biscuits are made of hardwood and compacted. The moisture in the carpenter’s (yellow) glue causes them to expand making them fit tightly in the cut- outs. It’s important to use plenty Figure 12 Figure 15 of glue. Figure 14: The three biscuits set in the end of a helix segment. Figure 15: The other helix segment. Did I mention to use plenty of glue? Figure 16: It’s hard to grip the helix segments and force them together. My solution was to drive screws into the helix segment plywood (but NOT into the surface underneath). They I could use a set of Channel-Lock pliers to pull the pieces together. Figure 13 Figure 16

Page 28 • Jan 2012 MRH Up the Creek column, page 6 Figure 17: I work the pieces I just happen to have a biscuit joiner. together with the Channel-Lock This device has a small circular saw pliers, going from one side to blade set horizontally to make cuts the other. To ensure the pieces into the side of a board – or the end are lined up correctly I’m work- of a helix segment. Could I use bis- ing on top of the circular helix cuits to butt-joint the helix segments location lines we drew on top of together? The answer was yes! the helix table. The key to a strong biscuit joint is having the two pieces being joined mate Figure 18: Note the wax paper exactly (figure 20). Mike came up with a underneath. We didn’t want to clever method for getting the two helix glue two helix pieces to the top segment ends at each joint to match of the helix table! These two even though they were originally cut segments are lined up. Time to with a hand-held saber saw (figure 21). let the glue dry overnight. Because Mike’s method custom-mates Figure 19: Biscuit joints are much each pair of helix segments, we labeled stronger than you might expect as the adjacent ends so if the pieces got this piece of helix demonstrates. moved around they could easily be put Still I wouldn’t recommend this back in the right place. except for all the support the helix Another thing biscuit joints need is glue Figure 17 will receive from the all-thread and lots of it. The moisture in the glue rods (shown in figure 1). makes the biscuits expand – especially

Figure 18 Figure 19

Page 29 • Jan 2012 MRH Up the Creek column, page 7 What makes a piece A piece B their thickness. This locks the two biscuited joint strong? pieces being joined firmly into position. I had a lot of trouble with the first joint Refer to the cross-section biscuit shoving the two ends tightly together. of a biscuited joint above. Then it occurred to me: since this isn’t After a biscuit swells from the going to be a finished area of the layout moisture in the glue, it is embedded in the joint extremely tightly. This prevents pieces A and B from shift- visible to the everyone, why not put a ing vertically as well as preventing them from pulling apart from each other. pair of screws in the end of each seg- When a deflection force is applied to the joint, either the top or the bottom edge under compression while ment? The extra holes wouldn’t matter. the biscuit is under tension. If the two ends are well mated, deformation of the joint requires either the We were careful to not run the screws wood ends to crush or the biscuit to fail. all the way through the helix roadbed segment into the wood below. A pair If the ends are not well matched and there is a gap between them, a bending force applied to the biscuit of Channel-Lock pliers was just wide greatly increases the chance of failure of the biscuit or the wood surrounding it. Glue in the joint gap enough to grab the two screws and pull helps, but glue tends to be more compressible than wood, resulting in a suboptimal joint. the ends together (figures 16 to 18). For maximum strength, it is important the ends being joined mate well with a minimum gap. Figure 20 Here are some joinery hints: There’s lots of yellow glue in one of these joints. Put waxed paper under For a strong biscuit joint, the ends of the two pieces the joint unless you want to glue the Making helix segments mate need to very friendly. Large gaps in between the two helix roadbed to the top of the helix pieces will significantly weaken the joint. Mike came table. Use a wet cloth to wipe up any up with a simple way to trim the ends of adjacent glue oozing out the top of a joint. helix segments to mate nicely with each other. It’s much easier to add a single seg- Since the segments were cut free-hand with a saber ment of helix roadbed to a multiple saw they don’t mate terribly well in their original AA AA screws segment piece of roadbed than it “ragged” state. is to join two longer pieces. The ends Put a splice plate under the ends, and using another Channel-Lock pliers can mangle the segment as a guide, line them up for the proper cur- screws if you try to pull a couple of vature. Screw each end to the splice plate using three-segment pieces together (ask 1-1/4” screws. me how I found this out). labels to Set a circular saw for a cut depth about 1/16” deeper Use the circles drawn on the helix identify than the thickness of the plywood roadbed and cut table to ensure the glued-together adjacent ends across the joint. The two ends should now mate helix roadbed has the correct radius. ends mate pretty well. AA Let the glue dry overnight, then use AA after trimming This method isn’t absolutely exact, but it’s darn close some 80-grit sandpaper wrapped with a circular and we got good results with it. around a 3”x15”x3/4” sanding block saw Mark the ends of the adjacent pieces to identify them to smooth the joints between the – it’s very easy to get them mixed up later and differ- segments. Pull the waxed paper ent pieces won’t necessarily mate well. Figure 21

Page 30 • Jan 2012 MRH Up the Creek column, page 8 off the bottom and use the sanding block to remove any that stayed glued to the bottom of the roadbed. If all went well you should have some strong butt joints (figure 19). Don’t Figure 25a deliberately stress test these unless Figure 22 you’re destruction testing. Joining the Peninsula Once the first few pieces of helix roadbed were glued together, I wanted Figure 25b to double check the span of roadbed between the bottom of the helix and the main staging area on the lower deck of the peninsula. I used a couple of helix segments and some other custom pieces to bridge the gap between Figure 23 the helix and peninsula. Phew! It all Figure 25c seemed to fit well (figures 22 and 23). positioned (remember those circles After the track has gotten half- Figures 22 and 23: With the first I used the trammel to draw the track pieces of the helix joined, I ran we drew to locate the helix?), and way around the helix, the inner centerlines on the roadbed. Since the more 9”-wide roadbed to connect used the trammel to draw 40” and and outer rails are a bit differ- center of the curves was in the aisle, I the helix and the main peninsula 43” radius centerlines. ent in “length”. I took advantage clamped a piece of stock to one of the of that to stagger the rail joints staging leads. I use code 83 Atlas flex track in the peninsula joists in an appropriate place since rail joints directly oppo- helix and staging. As the track extends Figure 24: Using a trammel to and turned it into the pivot point for site each other are not a good around the helix, the inner rail goes draw track centerlines on the the trammel (figure 24). thing – especially on curves. roadbed to main staging on the farther than the outer rail providing lower peninsula deck. Note the Helix Tracks the perfect opportunity to stagger rail Figure 25a: Two pieces of flex hacked-together pivot point. joints – joints opposite each other on a track with some overlapping rail. With everything checking out OK, it curve is a recipe for rail kinks. Note removed ties on the right was time to add more roadbed to the making room for a rail joiner. As the track gang ran rails around each helix. Problem is, it’s awfully hard to lap of the helix, we used some helix Figure 25b: The bare rail of the lay track with the sub-4” overhead segments to provide a smooth surface left piece threaded through the clearance of the lower laps of a helix. for making more biscuit joints on the spike heads of the right piece of The solution is to lay track on the helix upper lap of the helix (remembering to track. as you go. use wax paper). Figure 25c: Rail joiners have Before starting to lay track, we made I used extra pieces of helix roadbed been added and soldered. The sure the helix roadbed was properly as base plates for biscuit joining helix track is not yet on its centerline. Figure 24

Page 31 • Jan 2012 MRH Up the Creek column, page 9 A clipping from the South Jackson Gazette The Universe Is Expanding! After being stable for a long time, it “I were out the other day and saw seems the universe near the BC&SJ that Mr. Comstock talking with a railroad is growing again. Some couple of engineering types. They train crews report looking across all looked really excited and Mr. the trackside chasm in places and Comstock, he was looking down- seeing something out there. right pleased. I’m kinda figuring that they’re working on some way Some local scientists are speculating to make the universe bigger so we the existence of a parallel universe. can run more trains.” Others, are predicting a coming cat- Another local, who preferred to aclysm although when pressed they Figure 26 remain unnamed, claimed he’d couldn’t name specifics of what overhead a couple of the local ugly would happen, nor would they say giants talking about expanding the when it would occur. universe. Down at the South Jackson Tavern, Can it be true? Only time will tell, Horace Fithers was holding forth, but this reporter hopes so!  espousing yet another crazy theory. * Enjoy the Gazette? Read more at bcsjrr.com

Figure 26: The helix roadbed segments on the upper lap. Trying to made it around the first lap work directly on track isn’t a good idea. and track is being installed. If there are holes to be drilled in There is a turnout at the top of the the roadbed, now is the time to helix. I cut an extra-long piece of helix do it, before they get covered roadbed to avoid having a segment joint by another lap. Ditto for track and potential vertical kink under any feeder wires. of the turnouts at the top of the helix. Vertical kinks are bad. Vertical kinks on Figure 27: The opposite view shows the helix roadbed propped a curve are worse. Vertical kinks under a to approximate elevation using turnout are a recipe for disaster. pieces of 2x4. In the next part of this series I’ll write about drilling holes for optical train Reader detection in the helix, installing all- Feedback thread to space the helix laps, and (click here) track wiring. Bye until then.  Figure 27

Page 32 • Jan 2012 MRH Up the Creek column, page 10 Page 33 • Jan 2012 MRH Advertisement Visit TrueLine Trains website GETTING REAL: Is it time to run trains yet? Adventures in Prototype Modeling The continuing saga of was aware that I needed some way to did make those old Tyco growlers do About this issue’s Mike Rose’s attempts to run more than one train at a time, and what I wanted, and the brass-railed prototype modeling get it right (eventually!) ... the dual cab control bus methodology sectional track I initially used was part columnist using DPDT center-off toggle switches of that poor-running conspiracy. Reader served me well, at least for a while. It wasn’t long before I had an engine Eventually my local hobby shop owner Feedback introduced me to nickel silver flex (click here) track, divided into engine-length sections with one rail controlled by a track, Champ decals, and Athearn ’ve been thinking a lot about pro- simple on/off toggle so that I could engines, and I never looked back. In totypical operations recently. This make up “consists.” I’m old enough fact, my first published articles on kit- has been driven out of necessity that all of this was sufficiently long ago bashing were soon published in the and experiences, but perhaps a bit of to remember that pulse power was old Railroad Modeler magazine at age Ibackground is in order first. considered an innovation. But it never 16. But let’s fast-forward a bit. I’ve considered myself a Prototype Modeler going way back to my early childhood play memories. In fact, it was typical for me to be out riding Mike Rose has over 70 with my parents in the car and see published articles in the hobby some factory with trucks at a loading magazines, and has contributed dock, or a busy construction site, and photos and essays to a number when we got back I’d be busily re-cre- of prototype and modeling ating what I’d seen. Sometimes brown books. Mike’s a regular on paper grocery bags with small pillows the Prototype Modeling Meet stuffed inside served for “embank- circuit, giving clinics on a ments” at the construction site I variety of model railroading would create at home, for example. In topics. other words, I’ve always been heavily Mike’s also the owner of Mike influenced by the things I see in the Rose Hobbies (mrhobby.com). real world. My first layout came around age 12, starting as the typical 4x8, and Photos and illustrations by in fact was based on Linn Wescott’s Figure 1: Professional railroader Leo Landry finds planning his moves the author unless otherwise “HO Railroad That Grows” book that for his local crew at the town of Vosburg an engrossing task. The for- credited. became so dog-eared over time that it mer town of Vosburg is in front of him, and Hammill Yard is to the rear. basically disintegrated! Yet even then I This is the original section of my layout.

Page 34 • Jan 2012 MRH Getting Real column, page 1 The ages of 17-24 were all about get- 4x8 plus many add-ons, back in my liability. This was definitely a Great something when I start it! The above ting a car, getting out of high school early teens. Leap Forward, allowing further oper- examples speak to the learning pro- and quickly into (and out of) college, ations and more learning about what cess as it pertains to building the The result of all this is that I’ve done was desirable and what was, well….. layout itself, but also to operations employment, starting my own busi- a major rebuild to my present layout less so! of model railroads. It’s only in the ness, building a house, getting mar- three times. The first was to enlarge last few years that I’ve been actively ried, and having a child. So when it the radii of curves in my hidden track The last major rebuild vaulted the attending Op sessions as often as my was time to plan and start construct- areas, an Achilles heel of operation layout to the stage it remained in schedule and invitations permit. I find ing a large, basement-filling layout in once I finally got to the stage of run- until last winter, when I began the that I learn a tremendous amount the new house over 20 years ago, my ning real trains. The second major final addition to my railroad. The from each and every one I attend, problem was that I didn’t know what rebuild involved removing about half big complex peninsula project has even if it’s what‘s not for me, and I’ve I didn’t know. The fact is that the of that hidden track, as the main- been the subject of ongoing clin- learned a great deal from the three only layout I’d built was the original tenance of it had become a real ics at prototype modeling meets that I’ve held on my own layout too. in Collinsville Ct. last June 2011, Lisle, IL in The very obvious conclusion I drew October of the same from my first real Op session was that year, the Craftsman it was a tremendous amount of work Structure Convention for me, prior to the session. And it in Mansfield, MA in wasn’t the issue of physically stag- November 2011, and ing the trains, but more one of creat- upcoming at Cocoa ing the paperwork needed in order Beach in January of for the operators to know what they 2012 and the Valley had to accomplish. Basically, I manu- Forge, PA meet in ally typed up switchlists for each job, March of 2012. The and it probably took me between clinic is never the three and four hours to do all of that same twice, as it preparation. When I was done, it was reflects progress on obvious that this would be a defi- the new section, de- nite dis-incentive to hold Op sessions emphasizing some of unless a better way was employed. the earlier photos. I started looking into all of the sys- This peninsula and the tems that people used, and also look- construction pertaining into how the prototype did/does ing to it will all be cov- things. The more I looked into it, the ered in Model Railroad more complex it all seemed! Hobbyist as time Figure 2: Trainmaster (Mike Rose) is talking with Leo Landry and Mike Confalone There are things in the model world permits. (left to right) prior to the start of the Op session, about assignments. I refer to that “scale” well from the prototype myself as “Trainmaster” because the hosting layout owner rarely gets to run trains I’m well used to not and things that don’t. One example and generally spends his time expediting things and solving problems. being an expert on is time vs. distance. Clearly our trains

Page 35 • Jan 2012 MRH Getting Real column, page 2 don’t travel nearly as far as proto- operate at his Maumee Lines layout clearly out of my comfort zone! The evidenced by the “cornfield meet” that type trains do from city to city, and to in a nearby town. I’d heard a great truth is that I could not make heads I found myself in with Tony Koester…… help compensate for that, a fast clock deal about his fine layout both in or tails out of the timetable, eventually often is used. When I went to the print and from friends, so I quickly Lisle prototype meet recently, I was accepted. Since I was traveling with graciously invited by Bill Darnaby to my friend Scott Mason to the meet, Bill quickly agreed that he should attend the Op session as well. Bill’s layout represents the Midwest in convincing fashion, and is located in a large basement. It’s a beautifully-done double- deck layout without a helix, using instead the length of the runs to gradually get from one level to another. The way that he situated the benchwork made me feel, upon initial inspection, like there were unusually large distances between the towns, and when I began to run trains, I really had the sense that I was going somewhere. The modeling was first-rate and the railroad ran like a Swiss watch. This layout is set in the steam-to-diesel transition era, and uses timetable operation as the basis for controlling the trains. Since Figure 3: The Trainmaster (Mike Rose) I’m a modern diesel guy explains some nuance to attending engi- and had no experience with Figure 4: Operations Schedule: This is an example of printed output neer Scott Mason. In all probability Scott using a timetable, I found from the program Pro Track, and is a document generally used to plan is wondering where the heck his train is! this very interesting, though the scope of an op session by the layout owner.

Page 36 • Jan 2012 MRH Getting Real column, page 3 We all had a laugh about that one, Hendrickson and Tony Thompson) but it definitely drove home to me really knew their stuff. And there IS a the point that on a model railroad lot to know about running a railroad such as this, where you have multiple prototypically, plus it differs quite a trains and multiple operators, opera- bit depending on the era. tional control of the trains to avoid things like cornfield meets (nose- Other model railroad activities don’t nose encounters) is a must. And it’s “scale” nearly as well from the pro- something we have in common with totype, and an example of this is real railroads. I learned a lot at Bill’s switching. While it’s true that we are session, not the least of which is that not walking hundreds of yards to get when you enter Andy Sperandeo’s from car to car, engine to car, etc., the yard, you’d better know how many fact is that it takes almost as long to switch an industry on a model as it cars are in your train! It’s a stimulating experience to know nothing about the does to do the real thing. One of my A railroad and procedures you’re oper- regular operators and the fellow who D ating on, and it was quite evident that expertly built all the custom turnouts V Bill’s regulars (many friendly locals, on my new peninsula, Jim Lincoln, a E plus some fellow travelers like Richard railroad conductor who attested to R T I S E M E N T

Figure 5: Switch List: Pro Track can also output switch lists, and the example here shows how it prints two per standard page.

Page 37 • Jan 2012 MRH Getting Real column, page 4 Visit Microscale website that very thing. In my opinion then, a repetitious than it might sound. The fast clock is considerably less appro- methodologies are well established, priate for switching activities, and my there are groups on the Internet for conclusion is that I probably won’t the discussion of and dissemination have one in my future. of information pertaining to car card operation, and lots of modelers using Bill’s layout was definitely one exam- the system. ple of how to competently and real- istically control and run a layout. But The problem for me and many oth- what else was out there for me? Well, ers is that it’s not prototypical! There I’m now a regular operator on Mike is no analogy to car cards in the pro- Confalone’s proto-freelanced Allagash totype, at least not directly. Mike Railway, set in New Hampshire and Confalone addressed this by going Maine. Many readers are no doubt with a waybill system. To understand familiar with Mike’s layout which has how this works, one only needs look A been featured in many model railroad at how the prototype used waybills. magazine articles, and you can look D Essentially, a consignee would pur- V for an upcoming piece he’s doing for chase a load of goods from a shipper, E Model Railroad Hobbyist on a paper for example, a load of corn. The ship- R mill complex that’s in progress. There per would contact the connecting T are several fully and expertly scenic- railroad’s freight agent, and a waybill I ed areas on his layout and perhaps for the product would be created, S even more of it yet to do, but the essentially a packing list. E entire layout runs – and runs very M well. I’ve learned a lot from operating The waybill information, listing among E on his layout, and much of it is appli- other things Product, Buyer and N cable to my own. Seller, would eventually be used to T assign the load to a particular car that Most readers have at least some would carry the load. These waybills familiarity with the so-called “four- would travel with the train crew from cycle” car card system. In a nutshell, pick-up point to delivery point. And each car on the layout is associated railroads employed literally armies of with a small card with four destina- clerks to deal with all the paperwork. tions and ladings printed on both sides. after each session, the card Mike handled this on his layout by is rotated or flipped-over to reveal creating an empty and a loaded way- the next sesion’s movement. This bill for each car on his layout. For system produces four movements each Op session, a train in staging before repeating. Since Op sessions has a bundle of waybills on a small are usually not on consecutive days, clipboard, and the crew determines, and for the most part are not even based on information about routing on consecutive weekends, it’s less and destination on the bills, what they

Page 38 • Jan 2012 MRH Getting Real column, page 5 Visit Litchfield website will do with their train once they get I know of at least two friends (Craig underway. Similarly, when a yard job Bisgeier and Brian Bennett) who are crew reports to duty, they have their intent on writing their own systems, waybills in small layout-side boxes and I have no doubt they’ll succeed that correspond to each track, and in doing just that. But although I’ve the waybill information is examined worked in Information Technology as to determine the order of business a project manager for more than two for the yard crew. While I’m over-sim- decades, I’m definitely not a devel- plifying a bit for clarity, you can see oper. I’d started a system with one how the use of waybills on his model developer friend quite some time railroad is directly related to a similar ago, but it’s really only an inventory prototypical function. Control of trains program at this time. Surely there on his layout is handled with a human must be something else out there dispatcher (played by Mike C. him- ready to go! One program I initially self, behind a black curtain under the looked into, after conversing with basement stairs!), handheld radios, a user at a recent Op session, was and track warrants where permission something called Protrak. (www. is given to occupy or work a segment protrak.cc) This is one very impres- of track between two points. There sive system that looks comprehensive are no lineside signals as there are on enough to run, say, Norfolk Southern! Bill Darnaby’s layout. It definitely seemed heavy-duty, and some correspondence with the devel- As usual, although I find all of this oper showed me unusually attentive quite interesting and engaging, the response time from him. The more I “what’s in it for me?” quotient is looked into it though, it seemed like never far from my mind! Lively discus- overkill for me and I began to think sions with many other operating mod- about why it hit me that way. elers made me really think long and hard about what I wanted to do for The fact is that I’m not model- my own layout. The waybill approach ing the great 4-track main across has obvious merit in my era, although Pennsylvania during World War II, I’m I’m at least a decade later than Mike’s modeling a secondary line in the mid- AGR and as a result things would be a eighties. The time period I’m model- lot more computerized than his proto- ing is after the former Lehigh Valley type would have been. Lacking those signal system was devastated during armies of clerks and facing that com- a storm and basically turned off, dur- puterized reality, I started looking into ing Conrail days. Not only were those what my options would be for some operations consequently much more Figure 6a and 6b: SwitchList AGR waybill-left and SwitchList WTRC: digital assistance with my car/train casual, but in fact the operations on Mike Confalone sent me these examples of switch lists he was consid- management tasks. And the possibili- the local New Haven/Penn Central ering using for his railroad prior to making the commitment to waybill ties seemed endless. lines that I grew up with were much operations. These are generated from a spreadsheet.

Page 39 • Jan 2012 MRH Getting Real column, page 6 the same. It was this feel that formed It was not long, however, before my the basis for my frame of reference, thoughts turned back to my own and was what I chose to recreate on program. my layout. One issue for me, and it’s not a The more I thought about it, the trivial one, is that I have a lot of roll- more I became convinced that I just ing stock! A quick check of my roll- needed a simple way for me to create ing stock inventory shows over 1400 switchlists for the crews rather than cars!! Admittedly not all of those are have packs of waybills. Dispatching built, ready to run, but it forced me could be easily handled by Mike C.’s to think about how many cars one track warrant system, so that would actually needs to operate a layout be no problem. But, I wondered, how like mine. Not too long ago I asked best to create these switchlists with- Mike Confalone to count how many out becoming a slave to them? With cars were on his layout for the Op Google as my friend, I entered the session, and it was about 275 cars. search term “railroad switch lists”, I then counted the cars on my own as I wanted to see some examples. I layout, and it was a similar number, quickly realized that I wasn’t the only about 325. person with this problem! My logic is that I don’t want to be The search not only turned up doz- looking at the same cars all the time, ens and dozens of printable examples and a number that is three times of switch lists, there were also many larger than that, or about a thou- examples of computer programs sand, is defensible. That’s my story designed to generate these lists. I and I’m sticking to it! Even at that, I examined several of them. Robert have perhaps three or four hundred Bowdidge was kind enough to allow me cars too many, and that’s why I’m in to use some examples from his website a continuing effort to winnow that and provided the following links: number down through regular sales over the Internet. The official page for SwitchList is here: No matter how you look at it though, www.vasonabranch.com/railroad/ were I to have to create over a thou- switchlist.html sand waybills for those cars (twice If you’re talking about open-source that actually, since you’d want it for a loaded and an empty car by Mr. and the chance for folks to help out Figure 7: Waybill AGR TEMPLATE SIDE 1: This is what Mike Confalone on model railroad-related software, Confalone’s method), it would be a huge job. And I had all of these cars is using and a variation of which I’m planning to use. Again produced then the code.google.com site might by a spreadsheet (he feels was originally sent to him by Tony Koester also be interesting. in my own railroad database inventory already. Clearly there was no choice and created by yet another individual), my plan might be to generate code.google.com/p/switchlist but to schedule a meeting with my these with my inventory program.

Page 40 • Jan 2012 MRH Getting Real column, page 7 friend Warren who wrote the program, paperwork needed rather than rein- 4. I would use my existing database of variation, and most importantly be a explain my dilemma, and see if I could vent the wheel. So the onus is mine cars, modified, as the source to popu- very simple system to administer. prevail upon him to make some modi- late and print the waybills. alone at this time. While some people no doubt take fications to it that would allow me to 5. Different industries on the layout great pleasure in the paperwork or print up switchlists out of the database. I thought I had this all determined until I did a one-hour-plus walk- would be served with “pools” of cars computer aspect of train control, it’s Initial responses look promising, no through of the issues in a telephone dedicated to that service. As an exam- just not a strong interest for me. That’s doubt due in part to the dinner and with Mike Confalone. The conclusions ple, I have over 300 covered hop- why I’m leaning towards the above wine also employed during this dis- drawn from the call are as follows: pers. It would be easy to designate a scenario for my next op session, sched- cussion! But right now it’s on me to pool of, say, a dozen cars to service uled possibly for early spring 2012. 1. His waybill system could actually map out what I want a switch list to the small Kintner Milling operation in Stay tuned, this could be interesting ...  look like, identify what fields I already work fine for my railroad. Meshoppen, giving me four or five op have and where they would go on the 2. For “run through” trains I’d simply sessions before you’d see the same list itself, document what additional create a manifest for that train. car there again. Likewise the huge fields need to be added to the pro- Cargill grain mill (aka “Grainzilla”) gram, and give him all of this in an 3. Cars that left the layout from stag- would get a dedicated pool of perhaps ing would be kept in A-Line boxes and organized, understandable fashion. 100 cars, and the boxcar sidings at Reader stored in a more-organized fashion in He agreed that it would be easiest to the Mehoopany Proctor and Gamble Feedback the special plywood carts I’d created use the existing program with a new plant would get 88 cars, etc. This (click here) print routine that would create the for this purpose. would allow prototypical practice,

Page 41 • Jan 2012 MRH Getting Real column, page 8 Visit Accu-Lites website Page 42 • Jan 2012 MRH Advertisement Visit Railroad Kits website DCC Impulses: Wired Decoder Installation Part 1 Planning the Install successful. Next month I will discuss tools or supplies that are sold by an Reader specific loco types and their needs. electronics store, like Radio Shack, or Feedback from a DCC supplier. While building About our (click here) Skills Litchfield Station, when I found a tool DCC columnist You need to be able to take your loco that worked well for me at a reason- apart and put it back together and able price, I put it in stock! You may Don’t heat up the have it work. If you have not success- want to look in Litchfield Station’s soldering iron yet! fully torn down and reassembled an Tool Crib and Supplies category to see engine, I suggest that you try that what they are still stocking! first. If you can get it apart and back n last month’s column I together and have it run well and Tools make the job easier. In addition approached layout wiring from a quietly, then you have the skill and to your normal modeling tools, you bit of a philosophical viewpoint. experience in that area to tackle an will need some specialized electron- Starting this month I’m going to ana- installation. A thought: why not clean ics tools. While you may not need Ilyze wired decoder installations in a and lube it while you are inside it? all these tools and supplies for every similar fashion. installation, they will make most Next, consider your electronic assem- installations easier. If you don’t plan to hard-wire some bly skills. Have you successfully cut, decoders in the near future, you may stripped and soldered very small (30 With some careful buying, you can want to skip this column and next AWG – 0.255 mm diameter) wire? If equip yourself with the basic tools for month’s and we’ll see you in March! not, then practice until you are com- about $150. However, if you are plan- Bruce Petrarca is a well- ning on doing a lot of installs, the tool This column deals with what I find fortable with this skill before you tackle known expert on all things DCC. bill can run appreciably higher. works best for me. These techniques your prized loco. Decoder wire is avail- have lasted for years. There are other able from Digitrax or TCS through your Click here to learn more about DCC dealer. You will want some for ways that work, too. But folks also do Bruce. your installations any way! a lot of things that don’t stand the test of time. Depending upon what type of decoder you are installing, you will be If you read what I say and feel that I’m shrinking tubing or soldering to con- over the top, you are right! In my prior tacts on circuit boards or both. Why life I worked in the computer and aero- not practice these skills in advance, space industries. Reliability was job #1. too? You can get copper-clad boards That’s just the way I’m wired. It only from electronic surplus stores for a takes a bit more thinking and work to few dollars. Great practice material! have a really reliable installation. Tools Figure 1: My dirty, old wire strip- This column will deal with the tools, pers are Klein Tools #11047 – spe- supplies and some basic concepts that Since you are working on an elec- cifically designed for 22 AWG to 30 will help your installations be more tronic project here, consider only AWG wire.

Page 43 • Jan 2012 MRH DCC Impulses column, page 1 But, that covers tools for daily use for A soldering station designed for elec- yesterday, I had a G-scale Dash 9 in Dremel tool (with cutoff wheels professional installation work in many tronic work. Do NOT use a soldering the O-scale cradle. and sanding attachments) for light scales. I estimate the replacement gun or large iron! Adjustable or fixed machining and (with a brass brush) Clamping tweezers help hold wires costs of my tools at about $4000. thermostatic temperature control for wheel cleaning. will help. Otherwise, a 25-watt range while you solder them. I like: soldering pencil will do. These units Heat gun to shrink tubing – I use a can run from $25 to well over $100. Wire strippers designed for the small I recommend the smallest tip that unit designed for heating embossing wire found on decoders are essential, you can get for your particular iron. powders. I bought it at a local craft in my view. One of mine is shown in Personally, I use a Weller WTCPT sol- store where it sells for about $25. figure 1. Adjustable strippers just don’t dering station, as shown in figure 2, Local craft stores run 40% off coupons work well, especially on small wire. with a PTS8 tip. This setup is priced in the paper, so the price was VERY toward the high end, but is thermo- reasonable. Small (4 to 6 inch) needle nose pliers static and durable. Volt-ohm-meter – this may be an Small (4 to 6 inch) wire cutters A foam cradle helps to protect the analog or digital unit. They are fre- shell when you take your loco apart Tweezers – I like one set with a quently called VOM or DVM. Look or are working inside the shell. Its use curved tip and another with a broad for one with a low ohms scale (200 in a recent install is shown in figure tip, in addition to the normal fine 3. Bowser makes them in N-, HO- and ohms max) and a high DC current point model. I use all these in my O-scale sizes. I often use a size for scale (10 amps max). I use a Velleman general modeling, but really like another scale, as it may work better DVM850BL, which is widely available Figure 4: My very useful home- them for installations. for what I’m doing. For example, just for under $20. made buzzer.

Figure 2: The Weller WTCPT sol- Figure 3: A foam cradle helps to dering station I use. A less expen- protect your loco shell when you sive unit would suffice, as long as are working on it. it has a sharp tip (Weller photo). Figure 5: Schematic for my buzzer.

Page 44 • Jan 2012 MRH DCC Impulses column, page 2 Buzzer – I have a buzzer that I bought and have acid flux – which is damag- Double-sided (gray) tape – 3M Scotch the heat. The gray tape next to the from a surplus store wired to a 9-volt ing to electronics! Again, an electron- 4011 Exterior Mounting Tape is its toasted shrink-wrap was unfazed! battery and a set of alligator clips as a ics store or your DCC supplier is the official name. It has a red backing Masking (blue) tape – this painters’ continuity tester. My DVM has a buzzer place to shop! as seen in figure 6. Other brands setting that works in a pinch, but is may work. I have only used Scotch masking tape is shown in figure 6. It very quiet, so I use my little buzzer Solder – I like 60/40 solder with rosin and it is reliable! This double-sided is what I use as a second set of hands frequently. You can see its simplicity in flux imbedded. The trend today is tape is what I use to stick decoders to hold things in position while I work. figures 4 and 5 previous page. away from tin-lead solder. I find it down. The “life test” for this came I recommend against the brown ver- harder to make a good connection with a G-scale installation I did a few sion, which leaves too much residue End Mill or Belt Sander – One or the with the more expensive lead-free years ago. I installed a NCE D808-SR behind. Do not leave this tape in the other or both are needed if you get into solders. So, I recommend you buy the decoder with a 30-amp stall rat- loco when you are done – heat and some installations that require reduc- traditional solder while you can. Get ing into a USA GP loco. The loco ran time will make it VERY sticky.The only ing the size of the loco weights to make the smallest diameter solder you can outdoors in the Phoenix area for tapes I leave in a loco are Kapton and room for the decoder or speaker(s). find. Smaller makes for better control about a year. Here the internal tem- the gray tape. of the quantity applied. My favorite is peratures push 200°F in the sum- Caulk – nothing fancy, just clear bath- Supplies mer. The decoder output transistors 0.022 inch (0.56 mm) in diameter. tub and tile caulk to use as an adhesive toasted themselves. When I removed In addition to the tools, you will need when you stick something that you may Shrink Tubing – the cleanest and sim- the decoder the clear shrink tubing some supplies. For safety, don’t buy want to remove later. I use acrylic caulk plest way to insulate your connections over the transistors was black from any of these supplies from a hardware is with shrink. I use a collection of sizes instead of the more expensive silicone or home improvement store. Many of from 3/64 to 3/16 inch, with 3/64 and – nothing to be gained by spending the things they sell are for plumbing 1/16 being the most commonly used. more money. I have the most experience with the Polyseamseal brand, as Kapton Tape – this is MIL-SPEC insulat- shown in figure 7. Buy a small (6 ounce) ing tape. Kapton is a Dupont trade- tube, not a caulking gun sized cylinder mark. The tape is semi-transparent unless you are planning lots of layout yellow gold, as shown in figure 6. I work or have other needs. use the 0.001-inch thick version in three sizes from ¼ to ½ inch wide. It Denatured alcohol – in addition to isn’t very sticky, but it does hold. It doing a bang-up job getting gunk off won’t break down with heat. I dem- wheels, it cleans up solder flux very well! Get it at a home improvement or onstrate that by putting some tape hardware store. on a ceramic tile. Then I build a pool of molten solder on it. When the sol- Decoder wire – Yes, many decoders der cools, I knock the blob off and come with wire. However, there are clean the residual flux with denatured Figure 7: Caulk is one of my favor- times that it helps to have (30 AWG alcohol. There won’t even be a mark ite adhesives; I use it for more stranded) decoder wire in stock. Keep Figure 6: Tapes that I use. Kapton where the solder was. If you can only things than I can count, as you can at least the colors that conform to and Gray stay in the loco when I’m have one width, go with 3/8 inch for see by this folded, almost empty, the basic DCC standards: black, red, done – the blue comes out! HO-scale and ¼ inch for N-scale. 6-ounce tube. gray, orange, blue, white and yellow.

Page 45 • Jan 2012 MRH DCC Impulses column, page 3 Digitrax makes a kit of all nine DCC hardware stores for about the cost standard colors. TCS sells individual of a small bottle of Testors from the colors in all the DCC standard colors hobby shop. Keep your old bottle with and a few more. the brush in the cap and refill it. Flexible wire – I find it very helpful Faller Expert cement – This is a styrene to replace the wire to the trucks on cement that has some specific uses many locos. The factory wire is fre- different from MEK. We will talk more quently stiff enough to hamper the about it when we discuss lighting! motion of the trucks. It also breaks De-soldering wick – magic in a roll! easily. I also use it between steam The brand name is Solder Wick. There locos and tenders. I use 29 AWG 51 are others that are not as good! You strand rubber insulated wire (figure use this to remove solder from a joint

8). It is available from Northwest you want to undo. It is very good Short Line dealers. It is good for for wires soldered to tabs on circuit A most S scale and smaller installations boards. You don’t need it when unsol- D – about 1 amp maximum current. dering a wire-to-wire connection. See V Caution, the rubber insulation can figure 9 (next page). E chafe easily – possibly causing a short. R Flux – many folks say you cannot do a T Use shrink tubing over the insulation good solder job without flux. I am not where it might be rubbed. I one of them. I have a tube of Kester S Styrene solvent – MEK (methyl ethyl water-soluble flux that I use in extreme E ketone) is available in quart cans at cases where I need to clean up a dirty M contact or wire – like once a year! I’ve E been doing electronic soldering since I N was 7 years old and, yes, if you look at T the photo at the front of this column, there is gray hair on my head! Perhaps my 50+ years experience helps me do the job without external flux. One more comment on soldering supplies. Kester and Alpha are well known names in the electronic soldering industry. I would trust anything sold under their brands for decoder Figure 8: Extremely flexible wire: installation use. 29 AWG with rubber insulation What not to use and 51 strands of wire. Photo from Litchfield Station; equivalent to I have a few prejudices against certain NWSL 99007-9. supplies sometimes used in decoder

Page 46 • Jan 2012 MRH DCC Impulses column, page 4 Visit Yankee Dabbler website Scotch Magic Tape or cellophane tape frequently gumming up the drive This term is bandied about quite a bit, doesn’t handle heat well (and your train, sometimes dried out. Since it but what does it really mean? motor gets hot)! was there to insulate, frequently its departure results in a short circuit. The concept of a decoder is that you White foam tape breaks down with insert it between the rail pickups and heat and time and becomes little A few years back, I reworked an the motor. See figure 10. crumbles that can ruin gear trains. N-scale loco. The decoder toasted Meanwhile, whatever it was holding is when the vinyl tape that had been The goal is to make sure that there is flopping around loose inside the loco. used in the install failed and shorted no electrical path between the motor Figure 9: Solder Wick is the magic the motor to the rails. This decoder and either rail. Cardboard and paper don’t handle way to unsolder wires from boards. was supplied with Kapton tape, but humidity well and can catch fire. My suggestion: disconnect the obvi- the owner chose not to use it and ous places and then set the loco on Vinyl tape (usually black) is a major substituted vinyl! a piece of track that isn’t part of the no-no. It seems like a natural – they installations by hobbyists, manufactur- Motor Isolation layout. Put one connection of your call it electrical tape! However, it is ers and some professional installers. buzzer to the motor and probe both thick and doesn’t handle heat well. This brings us to one of the most rails with the other buzzer clip. If Office supplies belong in the office, I’ve opened many locos and found it crucial issues in decoder installation, you get a beep, you aren’t isolated. not in your loco. in a blob at the bottom of the loco, motor isolation. Then, if you think you are isolated, ADVERTISEMENTS

Page 47 • Jan 2012 MRH DCC Impulses column, page 5 Visit RailPro website connect the buzzer to one wheel Decoder selection I find that, while these are frequently Many N-scale diesels and the motor and wiggle the trucks promoted as no soldering, drop-in One of the most frequent questions HO Atlas-style light boards and make sure that there isn’t some units, they frequently need some wir- is, “What decoder will fit my . . .?” HO Atlas S-1 to S-4 diesels contact throughout their range of ing help for the best install. So, check movement. Most decoder manufacturers offer with your dealer and see if there is a Many HO Life-Like Proto 2000 suggestions for using their decoders loco-specific decoder for your appli- Current SoundTraxx puts it bluntly in their in various models. You may want to cation. Or go to the web site of your start there. Micro-Tsunami Quick Start Guide: favorite decoder manufacturer – most All decoders have a current rating. “Failure to properly isolate the motor Here are some ideas to help you to have a guide to fitting decoders. Some rate running current, some rate will damage your decoder and turn decide for yourself. maximum current, some rate both. it into an effective, but short-lived, Figure 11 shows the before and after What does this all mean? smoke generator.” Loco specific of an installation using an Atlas light The current (measured in amps or I look first for what I call loco-specific board-style decoder. Atlas-style light I’ll get more into the isolation issue thousandths of an amp, called milli- decoders. Some decoders are designed board decoders fit many locos, but as we discuss various types of locos amps) drawn through the decoder will for a specific model or series of models. soldering is required. next month. cause heat buildup inside the pack- Some of the most popular wired loco- age. If more current is drawn than the specific decoders fit: decoder is designed for, it will fail.

Figure 11: TCS A6X Atlas light board replacement decoder installed in an Figure 10: Schematic for DCC decoder connection – adapted from a Athearn Genesis SD-75M loco. Top unit is as delivered. Bottom unit has SoundTraxx drawing decoder installed.

Page 48 • Jan 2012 MRH DCC Impulses column, page 6 This current rating is for all current So, let’s see: front light, rear light, No. 5 Decorating Wheel, as shown in passing through the decoder: lights, “So, if you just ignore two ditch lights and a strobe. That’s 5 figure 12. smoke units, motor drive, etc. This is the current rating and functions. not just motor current. Decorating wheels are designed to install a current vintage How about front light, Mars light, spin to allow painting horizontal Some decoders sense rising internal decoder in your mod- rear light and fire box flicker? That stripes on pottery. temperature and shut off the flow would be a minimum of 4 functions, of current before they overheat. ern HO or smaller loco, but I’d go for five. Why? I like to set There are various levels of quality This protects the decoder. However, you will probably not up an alternating firebox flicker with a from relatively hard to turn plastic nobody likes to have a loco just stop have an issue.” red and a yellow LED, which takes an models to the ball-bearing aluminum in the middle of a run! additional function. version that I use. Others, especially older decoders, installation. TCS has offered a “one- In the first few generations of decod- won’t protect themselves and will year, no questions asked” warranty ers, the less expensive units had one “Modeling clay? Yes! slowly fry, frequently leaving abstract on their decoders since day one. That, or two or three functions. Premium You can put a blob on art in the form of burn marks on the coupled with their fine motor control decoders had more. Folks got the top of the weight. Put shrink tubing encasing the decoder. at a reasonable price has made them a idea that additional functions were the shell on and take What you need to do, if you are as favorite amongst my customers. expensive, when what they were really anal-retentive as I am, is to measure Size paying for was mostly the other fea- it off. The clay will be the stall current and running current tures. For example, if leather seats squashed down to show of your loco. Then you match your The next question is whether the are only available on the model of car exactly how much room decoder to the results. I have instruc- decoder will fit in your loco. There is that includes sunroof, premium ste- tions on my web site for this: (www. only one sure way to know: measure! reo and a larger engine, the price for you have!” mrdccu.com/curriculum/stall.htm). the leather seats could be incorrectly If you do so, you will know that you When I burn out a decoder that I viewed as the total cost for all those have chosen a decoder that is ade- can’t return for a replacement, I paint other extras. it red and keep it in a drawer on the quate to your needs. Manufacturers are learning that folks workbench. When I’m planning an use functions if they are available, so Alternatively, most modern decoders install, I drag it out and see if it will fit. will handle an amp of current (1000 newer decoders frequently have 6, or Otherwise, rulers, calipers and model- even 8 functions. milliamps). Modern HO and N locos ing clay come into play. draw less than one amp. Even if you Select a decoder with adequate func- have 5 or 6 lights, you probably won’t Modeling clay? Yes! You can put a tions for your needs. If you goof, all is overload the decoder. So, if you just blob on top of the weight. Put the not lost, as many manufacturers make ignore the current rating and install shell on and take it off. The clay will “function only” decoders that can be a current-vintage decoder in your be squashed down to show exactly added to bring in an additional 1 to 4 modern HO or smaller loco, you will how much room you have! functions! probably not have an issue. If you do, Functions I warned you in the prior paragraph! Upwardly Mobile Figure 12: Amaco No. 5 Many manufacturers are following TCS’ This term is confusing to newbies. Earlier, I mentioned that I own a lot Decorating Wheel modified by lead and offering to replace decod- Here is the quick rundown. A function of tools. One of my favorites is a turn- adding foam placemat material to ers that are destroyed on the initial controls a light, in the simplest terms. table that I fashioned from an Amaco the top surface.

Page 49 • Jan 2012 MRH DCC Impulses column, page 7 The modification was to apply foam Coming up . . . placemat material (glued down with caulk) to the metal top of the turn- Okay, now we have done a lot of the table. Why? Cushion the surface AND prep work and planning. Next month insulate it, so that there isn’t a rail-to- we talk about various styles of locos rail short when a loco stands on it. and what you need to do to put your decoder into them.  As I was writing this article, I found the exact same model on Dick Blick’s web site for under $30 “Lots of little tools (www.dickblick.com/products/ like this make the job amaco-decorating-wheel). easier for one who is Why would you want one? I find two doing a lot of installa- things it does for me. tions. But the dollars A 1) I can put a loco (in a cradle or not) D on it and quickly turn it around to do really add up!” V work on both sides. I am very right- Reader E handed and that lets me quickly get R Feedback T my good hand in action. (click here) I 2) It raises the work a few inches. S Thus, my elbows and shoulders aren’t E cramped. M E Lots of little tools like this make the Remember to N job easier for one who is doing a lot of T installations. But the dollars do really visit the MRH add up! website at mrhmag.com! “Manufacturers are The MRH family learning that folks use functions if they are is full of great available, so newer decoders frequently ideas! have 6, or even 8 functions.”

Page 50 • Jan 2012 MRH DCC Impulses column, page 8 Visit TAM Valley website Page 51 • Jan 2012 MRH Advertisement Visit NCE website RailPro: wireless locomotive command system

on which I’d be running the RailPro- EXTENDED! equipped locomotives were DCC EXTENDED! equipped, I depended on their DCC systems for track power instead of us- EXTENDED! ing a RailPro PWR-75 model railroad power supply. RailPro is compatible EXTENDED! with DCC systems putting less than 20 EXTENDED! volts peak-to-peak on the track. HO layouts shouldn’t have a problem with EXTENDED! this. For larger scales, it would be best to measure the voltage. Both DCC and EXTENDED! RailPro equipped locomotives can be operated simultaneously though DCC Reader locos can’t be controlled with a Rail- Feedback Pro throttle and vice-versa. (click here) HC-1 handheld controller – by Jeff Shultz The RailPro HC-1 box contained the RH was recently provided locomotive controller (figure 1), a bat- with a Ring Engineering tery charger, USB cable, and user man- (www.ringengineering.com/ ual. The HC-1 throttle weighs 10.8oz RailPro.htm) RailPro system. Unlike (306 grams) and measures roughly MDCC, RailPro uses radio signals to send 3-1/3” x 6” x 1-1/4” thick. Instead of Figure 1: HC-1 RailPro throttle. Figure 2: RailPro splash screen. commands directly to your locomo- the buttons and rotary switches usually tives. There are no command stations found on a DCC throttle, the HC-1 has be more than 12 hours with screen ou Line layout while making the video or signals through the rails. only three physical controls: brightness set to dim and between 6 at the end of this First Look. Several MRH received an HC-1 handheld power on button to 9 hours for more typical use. This weeks later the battery life indicator throttle/controller and several loco- 1-1/2” diameter metal throttle pretty much matched my experience still shows just under half charge. motives with RailPro LM-1 locomotive knob with the unit – the first charge only lasted a couple of hours, but after a When you press the Power On button, modules (the equivalent of a DCC de- 2-1/4” x 3” color touch screen recharge, I found myself wondering you are greeted with the RailPro splash coder) installed. The locomotives also There is no external antenna and the when the battery was finally going to screen (figure 2). Tapping this screen included RailMaster speakers. rechargeable battery is permanently run out. I used it for an afternoon run- takes you to the Main Page (figure 3) All that is needed in addition to this installed. According to Ring Engineer- ning trains for an open house and for from which you can select among “Lo- is track power. Since all of the layouts ing, battery life from a charge should around 3 hours on Joe Fugate’s Siskiy- comotives,” “Turnouts,” “Accessories,”

Page 52 • Jan 2012 MRH First Look – RailPro wireless train control, page 1 Figure 3: Main page. Figure 4: Loco selection screen. Figure 5: Loco control screen. Figure 6: Loco information screen.

“Find Product, “Tools,” “Stop All,” “Ad- send you back an icon file via their (referred to a “Link” by RailPro), head- large “i” in it, and “Locomotive Setup,” just Settings” and “Power Off.” website that is suitable for your throt- lights on and off, configuring a head- reached through the icon of a blue tle which you upload to the throttle light as a Mars or Gyralight, turning circle with a screwdriver and wrench. HC-1 Locomotive Control via the USB cable and RailPro soft- on engine sounds, sounding the horn “Locomotive Information” (figure 6) ware downloaded to your PC. or bell, and other similar functions. Tapping “Locomotives” on the main shows the power a locomotive is con- page brings up the “Select Locomo- As new features, sounds, and lighting An interesting feature is the ability suming, the voltage it’s receiving, and tive” screen (figure 4). From here effects are developed, the HC-1 throt- to configure multiple horn sounds or the temperature inside the locomotive you can select which locomotive you tle can be used to update locomotive perhaps a horn and whistle for steam – like most electronics, LM-1s respond wish to operate by tapping on one of and other modules. engines such as the SP 4449 which poorly when overheated. the configured-locomotive icons. The has both. HC-1 comes with generic locomotive Tapping a locomotive icon on the “Locomotive Setup” (figure 7) page icons but it is possible to create cus- select locomotive screen moves you Two additional functions are available allows a locomotive to be named or tom icons for your locos by snapping to the “Control Locomotive” screen from the “Control Locomotive” screen renamed, a password can be assigned a photo of your loco and sending to for that locomotive (figure 5). From – “Locomotive Information,” selected (so that someone with another HC-1 Ring Engineering. They process it and here you control direction, consisting through the icon of a blue circle with a can’t “steal” your locomotive), sound

Page 53 • Jan 2012 MRH First Look – RailPro wireless train control, page 2 Figure 7: Loco setup screen. Figure 8: Advanced setup screen 1. Figure 9: Advanced setup screen 2. Figure 10: Advanced sound screen.

volume can be set, and the setup and the user can also access the “Ad- “Sounds Setup” as well as the afore- size as a larger DCC sound decoder. It’s more advanced features pages can be vanced 2 Setup” and “Sounds Setup” mentioned Default Values icon. capable of four-channel sound and a reached. After making any changes, growing library of sounds is available pages as well as resetting everything The “Loco. Advanced Sound” page from Ring Engineering. tap the “Save” button or your changes back to default values. (figure 10) allows configuring auto- will be lost when power is removed “Loco Setup Advanced 2” (figure 9) notching for diesels. Other settings To install an LM-1, solder the speaker from the locomotive. A locomotive are available through the “Buttons allows you to run the Motor Full Load wires to your choice of speakers, and must be stopped with all sound effects Setup” page, but that is best left for Current Test (enabling the LM-1 and plug it into an 8-pin or 9-pin NMRA off for the save to complete. the HC-1 manual, available online at HC-1 to determine the performance socket. If necessary an LM-1 can be www.ringengineering.com/RailPro/ hardwired into a locomotive without Tapping the “Advanced Setup” icon capabilities of the selected locomo- Documents/DOC1019Rev1_01-HC- a NMRA socket or where the socket is brings up the “Loco. Setup Advanced tive), turn Low Speed Enhance on or 1UsersManual.pdf awkwardly located. A color wiring dia- 1” page (figure 8). This page is where off, set the motor direction to nor- gram is included. you set speed curves and accelera- mal or reversed, and configure some LM-1 Locomotive Module tion/deceleration characteristics for lighting features. Other icons on this The LM-1 Locomotive Module is 2.03” x If you use LEDs instead of incandes- the selected locomotive. From here page include “Advanced 1 Setup” and 0.69” x 0.28” in size – roughly the same cent lamps in your locomotive see the

Page 54 • Jan 2012 MRH First Look – RailPro wireless train control, page 3 instructions regarding installation with censed only in the USA. In other loca- series resistors. Speakers must be rated tions you’ll need to wait. for at least 1 watt and have an imped- MRH would like to thank The Yankee ance between 4 and 16 ohms. Figures Dabbler (yankeedabbler.com) for pro- 11 to 13 show an LM-1 and RailMaster viding the RailPro equipment for this speaker installed in a HO scale LifeLike First Look article.  Proto2000 E6 locomotive. RailMaster speaker LM-1 locomotive module Figure 11 While the LM-1 is designed for HO scale locomotives, I don’t see any rea- Figure 11: Side view of P2K E6 with LM-1 locomotive module (decoder) son that it couldn’t be used in S or O RailPro component MSRP: and RailMaster speaker installed. scale units as long as they don’t have too high a current draw. If your O or S HC-1 Wireless Controller - $399.99 Figure 12: Close-up of installed LM-1 from the top. locomotive can use an HO scale DCC Figure 13: Close-up of installed LM-1 from the side. decoder, it can probably use an LM-1. LM-1 Locomotive module - $99.99 When using a LM-1 in S or O scale with PWR-75 Power Supply - $269.99 tracks powered by a DCC booster, be sure the track voltage is less than 20 TC-4 Turnout Controller - $74.99 volts peak-to-peak. Unfortunately, N and Z scalers will probably not be able to use LM-1 con- Reader trollers at this time due to their size. Feedback RailPro’s radio system is currently li- (click here)

Figure 12

Figure 13 Click to visit the Ring Engineering website and watch the RailPro videos.

Page 55 • Jan 2012 MRH First Look – RailPro wireless train control, page 4 Model Railroad Hobbyist - Hobby Marketplace

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Page 56 • Jan 2012 MRH Hobby Marketplace Page 57 • Jan 2012 MRH Advertisement Visit Model Trains Video website ESU Passenger Car Lighting

I chose to install the lighting strip in voltage design and contain a the only passenger car on my layout, small capacitor, the PowerPack a Walther’s HO Scale Milwaukee Road can compensate for longer Hiawatha Skytop lounge car. Straight interruptions in power – it out of the box the lighting strip was also has the effect of letting too long for the car because of the the lights in the car glow for – by Jeff Shultz car’s downward curving rear end. up to several minutes after I Cutting a couple of the LEDs off the turned the track power off. Reader end of the strip opposite the power The PowerPack is small enough Feedback connections with a fine-tooth razor that it drops neatly into an (click here) saw allowed me to use double-sided interior (no windows) compart- foam tape to secure the lighting strip ment in my passenger car. in the removable roof of the car. Since ost times when you see I did not need the taillights I also cut According to the documen- passenger car lighting kits, them off and put the lighting strip in tation on the ESU website, they come from the same “backwards” to reduce the wire run the lighting strips can use companies that manufacture passen- between the end of the lighting strip between 4 and 24V power Mger cars. In this case, ESU GmbH & Co, and are constant brightness and the metal tabs in the car that car- which is primarily an electronics and ried the power up from the wheels. above 6V. DCC manufacturer from Germany, I did have to wrap the tabs in wire in There are currently six prod- has introduced a series of LED pas- order to give me something to solder ucts in the ESU passenger car senger car lighting systems that can the lighting strip’s wires to. This also lighting line (MSRP is in Euros): be adjusted for use in a variety of cars helps keep everything removable. and scales. Looking at the lighting strip, it also #50700, 255mm (~10”) in length, 7mm (1/4”) in width, MRH received the #50700 - “11 LEDs, appears that if you had an applica- 11 “warm-white” LEDs and ‘warm-white’” for this First Look arti- tion that required a gap in lighting you two red taillights, recom- cle. This lighting strip is 255mm (just could cut the strip appropriately and mended for N thru O scales over 10”) in length, 7mm (1/4”) in run wires between the two (or more) (MSRP: 17.49 €); width, and includes cut lines between sections. This might even be appropriate for multi-room structure lighting. each LED allowing you to custom- #50702, 255mm (~10”) in Figure 1: #50700 ize the length of the lighting strip for I also soldered ESU’s #50706 length, 7mm (1/4”) in width, passenger car lighting whatever application you need it for. “PowerPack” capacitor to clearly 11 “yellow” LEDs and two red strip in its retail box It also includes two red LEDs for use marked spots on the lighting strip. taillights, recommended for N (left). Out of the box as taillights. While the lighting strips are a constant thru O scales (MSRP: 14.95 €); (right).

Page 58 • Jan 2012 MRH First Look — ESU passenger car lighting, page 1 ◀ ▶ #50703, 380mm (~15”) in length, #50704, single warm-white LED #50706 PowerPack capacitors (0,1F), Reader 15mm (~2/3”) in width, 16 white and “cabin” lighting strip for locomotives, 2ea. (MSRP 5.95 €), www.esu.eu/en/ cabin’s, cabooses, or van’s, depending  Feedback 16 yellow LEDs in pairs and includes products/innenbeleuchtungen. (click here) the PowerPack and two red taillights on your railroad’s linguistic heritage built into the strip. It is recommended (MSRP 7.95 €) ; for #1 and G gauge applications #50705, which consists of two red (MSRP 39.95 €); LEDs for taillights (MSRP 7.95 €).

Figure 3: Closeup of the lighting strip showing PowerPack solder pads and cut marks.

Figure 4: Lighting strip installed and illuminated.

Page 59 • Jan 2012 MRH First Look — ESU passenger car lighting, page 1 Photo Wallpaper For Structure Surfaces – by Lance Mindheim Photos by the author

Figure 1: Modeling the logos and faded stucco of Chavez Used Auto Parts would be difficult using a brush. Instead, photos of the actual structure were glued to styrene and then stand-off details added to create a 3D appearance.

Page 60 • Jan 2012 MRH Photo Wallpapers for structure surfaces, page 1 Reader The prices of printers, cameras, and Match the Method to decades. My attention span for a Feedback photo editing software have dropped the Task project is generally only five to seven (click here) to the point where they are within the years so I didn’t even go to the effort reach of anybody’s budget. As with any modeling project, it to track down more expensive inks comes down to picking the right tool and paper. The coming of the digital age to our or method for the job. Photo wallpa- Learn the secret to getting hobby has put some of these pre- Water damage is another issue. Spots per isn’t the best technique for every amazing structure realism of water from scenery work, plumb- viously impossible modeling tasks situation. In general, substituting ing malfunctions, etc. will ruin many using Lance Mindheim’s within easy reach. For some sur- photos for paint works best in cases photos. Coating the photos with photo-lamination tricks ... faces, using a photograph produces where the prototype surface is rela- Dullcote offers virtually no protec- a far more accurate result than what tively flat. Examples include doors, tion. A little care during scenery work ertain surfaces have always we could get with a brush. All you windows, walls, and flatter structure as well as putting plastic over the been a challenge to model. need is a computer, photo editing faces. Brick and cinder block walls and layout beneath our bathroom solved Intricate weathering patterns software, and a printer. You may not rollup doors are ideal candidates. The my water damage issue. Finally, some of peeling paint and stains streaking even need a camera if you can get effect is not as convincing for high – not all – inks, react to Dullcote and Cdown a wall, subtle color variations the photos elsewhere. Follow along relief surfaces such as ribbed siding change color. Always test a sample on a brick or masonry wall, murals, as I walk you through the process of or board and batten siding. Certainly first and if you have a problem use and graffiti are a few such examples. ‘wallpapering’ photos onto a model you wouldn’t try it for modeling an oil acrylic flat spray. No matter how skilled the modeler, surface in lieu of paint. refinery! Also, the photo wallpaper method makes the most sense for there are limits to how accurately we Before we get into the step by step, surfaces that have difficult to model Photo Editing Software can capture complex color patterns I caution you not to get lost in the color patterns. If the prototype has a using traditional methods. For many details. At the most basic level all we There, I said it. “New software”, that simple color pattern, you may as well years our only available option for are doing is taking a photograph of a nasty word that will have many say- just use paint. creating what we wanted was paint surface, printing it to scale, and gluing, ‘interesting idea … or somebody on styrene. ing it to styrene. No more, no less. else besides me’. Without the use of The Downside of a photo editor you won’t be able to When we step back, though, and The biggest obstacle all modelers implement the techniques we will be think about what we are really trying face is getting over their natural iner- Using Photo Wallpaper discussing. Photo editing software is a to do, the task boils down to applying tia of trying something new. I suspect No method is without its drawbacks. basic tool, the key functions of which a color to a surface by any effective that after reading this article the rea- If I could sum up those of the photo are no more difficult than MS Word. If means available. There really is no son folks won’t try it is that it’s out of wallpaper technique it would be dura- you can copy, cut, and paste with Word reason why the method for doing so their comfort zone, particularly when bility. Paint on styrene is more dura- you can do the basic photo editing needs to be a brush. It can also be a it comes to photo editing software. ble and robust than ink on paper. Ink tasks. In addition, unlike an airbrush, printer. For some prototype surfaces, However, those that are willing to get does fade over time. In my case I’ve photo editors have an undo button! specifically those that are essentially their feet wet and try something new noticed it in a few locations starting flat with very little surface relief, we will find that, in the right instances, at about the five year mark. Reducing Before purchasing your software a can get better results by using a pho- the technique produces surfaces far exposure to sun and fluorescent light- few points need to be made. First, tograph for the surface instead of more accurate than can be accom- ing can slow the process down. So even old editions of basic software painted styrene. The idea is certainly plished with paint, is much faster can using better inks and papers. Long have far more capability than you will not new. What has changed is the than traditional techniques, and is far term fading is something to consider ever use. It makes no sense to buy an ease of implementing the technique. less expensive. if you plan on a layout that will last expensive, latest and greatest editing

Page 61 • Jan 2012 MRH Photo Wallpapers for structure surfaces, page 2 program. Doing so will likely bog you pushing buttons and play around with down in elaborate tool bars. I suggest the tools to see what happens. If you picking up one (or even several) used get stuck click the help bar for a quick or old editions and keep the cost in clarification. the $20 to $30 range. Amazon.com is a good starting point for making your Getting Started purchase. For this article I suggest The process for photo wallpapering a Paint Shop Pro X as it has a few tools structure is as follows: that apply particularly well to what we will be doing. Adobe Photo Shop 1. Buy a basic photo editing software Elements is another good choice. If program. As a minimum you need you can get a good price, pick up both something that can correct for perspective distortion. (Paint Shop Pro X as they each has its selling points. and Adobe Photoshop Elements have The fastest way to learn how to use this feature) a photo editing program is to load a 2. Take or obtain a photo of the pro- copy of a photo (always work with totype surface. Although not ideal, copies), open it in the editor, start I have used photos captured from

Figures 3: Because of natural perspective issues, the photo of the door is slightly trapezoidal in shape and noticeably tilted to one side. In many cases you’ll find that your photos have an even more pronounced perspective distortion. Paint Shop Pro has a very simple and effective tool called ‘Perspective Correction’ that quickly cleans up the distortion. 1. Click the perspective correction icon. 2. A box will appear on the screen. Drag each dart on the screen box to a corner of the door in your image. 3. Hit the green check mark. That’s it! Almost like magic the distortion has been fixed.

Google Streetview. Photos taken by 4. Edit your photo to correct for per- others or obtained on the net are spective distortion and other needs. Figures 2: I can’t imagine a project more difficult than trying to model this roll-up door with paint. The color combinations are very complex. other sources in addition to taking the 5. Print the photo to the size needed. shot yourself. The shallow relief between the slats is minute and typically not realisti- 6. Glue the photo to the surface of cally produced with commercial door products. Time for the computer 3. Build a blank core of your structure your core with 3M Super 77 spray and printer. out of styrene. adhesive.

Page 62 • Jan 2012 MRH Photo Wallpapers for structure surfaces, page 3 7. Add traditional three-dimensional the hang of the technique and build Figures 5: Here’s our details such as gutters, conduit, and confidence. Two very simple, big pay- finished door. Note downspouts to the structure. off, subjects are steel roll-up doors how I’ve intentionally and masonry walls. These surfaces are left the shadows in the Baby Steps difficult to effectively model using tra- corners to enhance the 3D effect. Rather than choosing a full scale, ditional paint and exceptionally easy omplex four-wall structure as a first to model using photos. They are great project, let’s pick something with a starting points because they are both simple one-dimensional surface to get easy and produce dramatic results.

Figures 6: Paint Shop Pro X has a very simple print size feature. Using the masonry blocks as a guide, the door measures out to be 10 feet tall on the prototype. Scaled to HO, we therefore want our printed door to be 1.38 inches high (scale 10 feet in HO). On the tool bar hit “file” and then “print”. This will open up the printing functions. Set the image Figures 4: With the distortion corrected, we can now cut away the por- height to 1.38”. The width will be automatically set for you to the cor- tions of the photo we don’t need using what is called a crop tool. Think rect proportions. of cropping as digital scissors. Hit the crop icon, drag the box around the area you want to keep, and hit the green check mark.

Page 63 • Jan 2012 MRH Photo Wallpapers for structure surfaces, page 4 Figures 7: Now that the size is set, let’s tell the printer what to do. Figure 10: Glue your photo door behind the door opening of your While still in Paint Shop Pro X’s print screen hit “properties.” The next desired structure. screen will be for your printer and there will be some variation by model. Set the printer for photo paper (not everyday typing paper). Under print output quality hit “Best”. It’s not necessary to use the “Maximum DPI” setting should that be an option that comes up on your screen. Insert your photo paper and print.

Figures 8-9: Using a new, sharp blade and steel rule as a guide, Figure 8 Figure 9 cut out your photo. As you go about cutting your photos, change blades frequently to prevent snags and burrs. Turn the photo over and spray the back with Super 77. Place the photo on a scrap of .060” styrene and firmly seat it with a rubber roller. Note that with Super 77 you only get one chance. Once it grabs it really grabs, so make sure you have things lined up correctly from the outset.

Page 64 • Jan 2012 MRH Photo Wallpapers for structure surfaces, page 5 Once you’ve practiced with one-dimensional projects such as a door or wall let’s move onto three-dimensional structures. The techniques are essentially the same as what we did for the doors but we will now ‘wallpaper’ all four walls of the structure.

Figure 11: All four walls of the Antillean Marine office structure shown above are photos, as are the containers.

Figures 12-13: Figure 12 The starting point of the project was the photo on the left. Google Streetview had some good angles to fill in a few of the blanks.

Figure 13

Page 65 • Jan 2012 MRH Photo Wallpapers for structure surfaces, page 6 Figure 14: After correcting for perspective you’ll see that the image has a number of issues that must be resolved before it’s useable. As is commonly the case wires, fences, and foliage are in the way. Fortunately, there are enough ‘good’ areas that all we have to do is copy clean wall sections over those with the obstruc- tion. The process is very similar to that of MS Word, in that we will select/highlight, copy, and paste. 1. This is the selection tool. 2. Drag a box around the area you want to copy. 3. Hit edit, copy, paste. 4. Using the ‘pick’ grab the copy and drag it over the section we want to replace. 5. The clone is a much more powerful copy/paste tool that allows for finer correction work. Learn to use it as it’s handy indeed!

Figure 15: Using the copy/paste and clone tools the image above shows how I gradually replace obstructed sections of the photo with similar shaped ‘clean’ sections.

Figure 16: Here’s the finished wall after clean up with the cut and paste tools. I selectively compressed it by removing one panel. The glass entrance door is from my door image library.

Page 66 • Jan 2012 MRH Photo Wallpapers for structure surfaces, page 7 Figure 17: The only real photo I have of the prototype structure is of the north face. That’s common. Using a little creativity I varied the patterns enough to create all four walls. Shown above is the west wall of the structure. Figure 18: The next step is to prepare the core of the structure itself. In most cases you are essentially creating a blank box. Your prototype photos can be very helpful in determining the actual dimensions of the of the structure being modeled. The standard 8”x16” masonry block or 80” standard personnel door height are good scales and appear in many photos. For the core, my material of choice is .060 inch styrene. When complete, make sure the surface is clean prior to attaching the photos. Wiping the surface with rubbing alcohol will do it.

Page 67 • Jan 2012 MRH Photo Wallpapers for structure surfaces, page 8 Figures 19-20: Although we could simply glue photos of each wall to Figure 19 our core, the resulting surfaces will be obviously flat, especially when viewed from any angle other than straight on. We can take some simple steps to create the illusion that the surface is three-dimensional. I typically print three photos for each wall. The first photo is printed on glossy paper and is the bottom layer. Print the second photo on matte paper, cut out the window and door openings and glue it over the first so that the glossy windows show through. Print the third photo on matte paper as well. We will use this for any stand off details such as columns or other protruding features. This three-layer sandwich is certainly flatter than the prototype but the optical illusion of depth can be convincing.

Figure 20

Page 68 • Jan 2012 MRH Photo Wallpapers for structure surfaces, page 9 Figure 21

Figure 22

Figure 21: Optional Step: The photo paper is pretty thin but as you cut out the openings you’ll be able to faintly see the white edges where you made the cut. Depending on how much of a stickler you are, these white lines may or may not bother you. If you want, you can dry brush a similar color paint around the photo edges. Figure 22: Here’s the assembled west wall of the office comprised of three printed photos stacked on top of each other. Figure 23: Spray the back of the print with Super 77, align the photo with Figure 23 the core and firmly roll it into place. Repeat for each of the four walls.

Page 69 • Jan 2012 MRH Photo Wallpapers for structure surfaces, page 10 Figure 24: The only purpose of the photos is to provide color and the illusion of shallow depth. In order to keep it from looking obviously flat, add traditional 3D standoff details such as lights, awnings, and conduits.

Page 70 • Jan 2012 MRH Photo Wallpapers for structure surfaces, page 11 Photo Gallery of Other Photo Wall Covered Structures on My Layout

Figure 27: Graffiti laden background structure.

Figure 25: Proveedora Jiron.

Figure 26: Del Toro Signs. Figure 28: Lowell Distributing.

Page 71 • Jan 2012 MRH Photo Wallpapers for structure surfaces, page 12 Figure 31: The graffiti’d masonry wall in HO.

Figure 29: Chavez Used Auto Parts.

Lance Mindheim is a frequent con- tributor who lives in Silver Spring, MD., with his wife, Cathy, and son, Zachary. He is the owner of the Shelf Layouts Company, Inc. (www.shelflay- outs.com) a custom layout building and design firm. His Miami-based HO scale Downtown Spur layout appeared in Model Railroad Planning 2009. Figure 30: Graffiti ‘art’ on masonry wall.

Page 72 • Jan 2012 MRH Photo Wallpapers for structure surfaces, page 13 Other Applications There is no limit to the application of this technique as long as you are dealing with prototype subjects that have a relatively flat surface. Try it on containers, truck sides, as wrapping on storage tanks, and perhaps even road surfaces. The photo wallpaper technique, while not the solution to all color issues, can get you out of more than a few jams. Think of the process as a digital paint brush with the exceptionally nice feature of an ‘undo’ button. The biggest challenge is taking the first step and that begins with obtaining your photo editing software. A small investment there will be rewarded many times over. Give it a try!

Figure 32: If your layout requires a large number of containers you’ll find that it can get expensive as well as time consuming when it comes to weathering them. In addition, some of the logos aren’t available as commercial products. Photo wallpaper can be a good solution in this case. Build an appropriately sized cube and glue Figure 33: After editing the panel of the prototype delivery truck I photos of stacks of containers to create realistic looking and inex- printed it out to size on label stock and glued it to the side of a Boley pensive container stacks. vehicle.

Page 73 • Jan 2012 MRH Photo Wallpapers for structure surfaces, page 14 Figure 34 Figure 35

Figures 34-35: Models of the 20-foot Tropical Shipping reefer containers simply aren’t available on the market. To get around this I glued a photo to the side of an undecorated Walthers container.

Pros and Cons of the Photo Wall Paper Technique Pros: Cons: Perfect color Too ‘flat’ for some materials Inexpensive Possible fading of ink over time Fast Potential for water damage

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Page 74 • Jan 2012 MRH Photo Wallpapers for structure surfaces, page 15 lightweight equipment. The result was the bolster pins, and set the pins aside that passengers drinks rarely spilled in to use later in the project (figures 2 the diners or parlor cars! and 3, next page). The six-wheel and four-wheel Rivarossi In order to create a new bolster pin truck are not directly interchangeable socket, the existing pad must be due to the location of the bolster pin smooth and free of all old detail. Begin on each truck. The pin is located closer by cutting away and discarding the two to the axle away from the coupler on vertical guide pins located next to the the four-wheel version while it is cen- bolster pad. These pins are not needed tered on the six-wheel version. A con- after the conversion. Next use a #2 version to the correct trucks for the X-Acto knife to carefully remove the old cars I was modeling required convert- bolster and associated molded-on detail ing the underframe to move the bol- from the pad. Prepare the base by ster location closer to the end of the sanding with #400 or finer sandpaper to car by approximately 0.25 inches. This get a good, flat surface (figures 4 and 5, would involve some minor modifica- next page). tions to the underframe. Measure the bolster and cut two I started by scavenging a pair of six- replacement pads from .030” styrene. Converting a One of the first decisions made in the wheel trucks from a Rivarossi heavy- I used Plastruct building siding in order design of the new cars was that they weight passenger car. I replaced to ensure straight cuts as much as Rivarossi Diner to be built upon six-wheel trucks, as the old plastic wheels with metal possible, but smooth-sided styrene is the Alton management preferred the wheelsets. preferable. Rough up the old pad and Six-wheel Trucks smoother ride provided by the heavier The first step was to remove the old the newly-cut styrene a bit with the – by Jim Duncan truck over the four-wheel trucks trucks from the car. I used a small flat- sandpaper and glue the new pad into Reader which equipped most streamlined, blade screwdriver to avoid damaging Text continues on page 77. Feedback (click here)

he Gulf Mobile and Ohio Railroad inherited the Alton Railroad’s fleet of passenger cars when the two roads merged in 1947.T Alton, under receivership to the Baltimore and Ohio at the time, set out to modernize its passenger car fleet by turning to American Car and Foundry in St. Louis to supply replacements for the Figure 1: Here is a “before” view of the Rivarossi diner which we are converting to become an ACF parlor Alton’s aging fleet of heavyweights. car with six-wheel trucks.

Page 75 • Jan 2012 MRH The Modeler’s Workbench - Converting a Rivarossi Diner, page 1 Figure 4: Removing the truck reveals the molded-on bolster. Take note of the location of the three rivets closest to the end of the car on the bolster pad (between the two short pins). The new bolster hole will be Figure 2: Looking at the underside of the car, we see the snap-fit bolster in the location of pins and the original 4-wheel trucks. the center rivet. Note also the two truck guide pins which we will remove in the next step.

Figure 5: Using a new blade in my X-Acto knife, I carefully trim away Figure 3: Use a flat-bladed screwdriver to carefully pry up the truck and the two guide pins, the molded-on bolster, and finally the rivets. All that the bolster pin. Save the bolster pin for the new installation. remains is to sand the pad smooth with a fine-grade sanding block.

Page 76 • Jan 2012 MRH The Modeler’s Workbench - Converting a Rivarossi Diner, page 2 Text continued from page 75. by hand. Don’t attempt to pry the roof with any tool, as damage to the place using ACC (I recommend Loctite’s roof edge or car side will result! Take Control Gel Super Glue. This product your time working with the clips as gives you precise control over where well. They can break or deform, which the glue goes and it adheres quickly, will create problems keeping the roof while allowing a short time to adjust properly in place on reassembly. the parts to match correctly (figure 6)! The interior of the car has a depression Next we move to the interior of the where the bolster pin normally comes car, where some work must be done. through the floor. (Figure 7). Fill this Remove the car roof by prying lightly depression with two pieces of .030” on the six snap tabs found on the styrene cut to snuggly fit and com- underside of the car. Gently pushing pletely fill the space. Secure the fill- the tabs into the car results in the roof ers with A.C.C. and allow to dry 15-20 rising away from the car sides and minutes before moving on to the next ends where it can be safely removed step. The pads will be ready for the

Figure 7: I like my cars super-weighted! This car is a long-time veteran on my railroad and the b.b.’s are showing their age but they do the job and do it inexpensively! The depression in the car floor needs to be filled to make up for the difference we removed from the original bolster so the bolster pins will click-in and stay. I cut two pieces of .030 styrene (not shown) and filled the depression with them.

next step after 15-20 minutes of curing Continue to bore through the new pad time. until the tip of the blade just begins to break the surface of the filler styrene. Using the new truck, align the bolster Move to the interior and bore out hole in the truck with the centerline of the socket from the inside. Finish the the car and test for swivel clearance. socket by test-fitting the pin for a snug, Mark the final location of the new but not too tight fit in the new socket. bolster socket on the pad with a soft Use a round file to expand the hole lead pencil. I used a mechanical pencil as necessary being careful to work in with the lead extended slightly to get a good, clear marking (figures 8 and 9, small increments to ensure that the next page). pin will stay in place when test-fit with Figure 6: Using A.C.C. I cement a piece of .030 styrene cut to the size the truck (figure 11, next page). of the pad over the old pad to build up the clearance which existed with Create the new bolster socket by the old bolster. This is not as tall as the old bolster which will yield a more punch-marking the new location with After you are pleased with the fit of the prototypic space between the truck and the underframe. It will also elimi- the point of a new X-Acto blade. Begin truck and pin, airbrush the car under- nate much of the wobble normally associated with Rivarossi passenger boring out the hole by rotating the knife side with Polly Scale Old Engine Black. cars. File edges of the new pad to conform to the shape of the old pad and 360 degrees both clockwise and coun- The Rivarossi car is a close match to the slightly round the edge for a nice finish. ter-clockwise (figure 10, next page). prototype car out of the box, but also

Page 77 • Jan 2012 MRH The Modeler’s Workbench - Converting a Rivarossi Diner, page 3 requires removal of the long rod on the as the HO scale passengers enjoy the Figure 10: Using roof, sanding and filling the exposed smoother ride with ne’er a drop spilled the #2 X-acto knife mounting holes, and otherwise sand- between Chicago and St. Louis on my I bored the new pin ing to make a smooth rooftop. That’s GM&O Eastern Division!  hole starting from another one-night project. the bolster side For now though, the addition of the six- first. As soon as the wheel trucks make this car distinctively point of the blade “GM&O,” and it is right at home in the comes through the consist of the Limited or the Abe Lincoln inner side of the new styrene pad I Figure 8: I test- bored from the inte- fit the truck rior side. I finished to the car and the hole using a round file. I test-fit the pin repeatedly to ensure that I used a me- didn’t get the hole too wide. chanical pencil to mark the location of the new bolster pin hole. Be sure to swing the truck to ensure that it clears the car’s skirts, as well as any underbody detail.

Figure 9: The bolster pad with the pencil- marked location of the new bolster pin hole.

Figure 11: Here is the new six-wheel truck in its final location with the pin in place in its new bolster pin hole.

Figure 12: Here’s the finished product! The final step (not shown) is airbrushing the underbody with Polly S old engine black. Reader Feedback (click here)

Page 78 • Jan 2012 MRH The Modeler’s Workbench - Converting a Rivarossi Diner, page 4 SIMPLE CAR CARD SYSTEM TJ&H Railroad “We Can Carry You” Train # 03 Local Switching Engines Pick 1 or 2 Special Orders CAB As used on the Caboose # #1 NO Pick 1 Yard work NO 1) Switch Cars to destinationsOrders as noted on the othe side of this card.

r N Scale TJH Railroad

Using a simple one-card-per-train system, Tom Driscoll

and his operators get hours of operating pleasure out of Spec ial Orders – his Thomasville, Joyce Junction, & Heatherton Railroad.

have devised a what I feel is a We never need to be concerned with simple card system for my TJ&H car numbers in this system. Railroad that allows quick, easy by Tom Driscoll operation and makes setup a snap. This simplicity does not prevent us I from getting specific and indicating a Photos and illustrations by the author unless otherwise noted. This system allows my crew and me Hy-Cube boxcar or a boxcar of lum- S1 – Card 5 more time running trains and less ber. In the special car type case like time looking for car numbers and this, we identify the car by listing “ex- doing paperwork. I also find this sys- tra tall markings” or by specifying a Figure 1: Here’s an example of the tem to be easier on my 50-year-old certain company logo that’s needed front of a card in my system. The Reader eyes, which is a bonus when model- on the car so that it clearly identifies back of the card has the train con- Feedback (click here) ing in N scale. the contents. sist specifics. One card does it all!

To keep this system simple, a boxcar is Examples of this might include a Boise a boxcar. If we’re delivering a boxcar, Cascade box for lumber or Pacific System Overview then any boxcar will do. Again, in the Fruit Express reefer for fruit. interest of simplicity, we identify all The system uses cards that are 4X6 represents one train, with what cars cars by type and commodity. With my For open top cars (gondola, hopper, card stock that can be run through are needed for the train on the front system, we refer to cars by their type flat), we specify them by the load that a computer printer. I make the data (figure 1), and where the cars are to plus their load such as coal hoppers, can be seen, for instance steel, pipe, on the cards using a combination of be delivered/picked up on the back gondolas of steel, lumber flats, etc. scrap, gravel, or coal. Microsoft Word and Excel. Each card (figure 2).

Page 79 • Jan 2012 MRH Simple car card system, page 1 Figure 2: Here’s what the back operator what cars go into the train. would pick a caboose up on the way TJ&H Railroad

“We Can Carry You” of the card looks like. I list all Once the train is built, the yard opera- out of the yard. the industries/businesses on tor needs to notify the dispatcher that Deliver Business Pickup Destination The operator then follows the direc- Ryan’s my layout and then identify the train is ready. Recyclers tions and switches out the cars at the what kinds of cars to deliver Midway industries listed on the card, building Graphics and pickup, along with the The yardman builds trains and Central the returning train as he goes. The op- COOP West final destination of the train at switches cars in the yard. With this Pa’s 2 Flat erator then takes the return train to 1 Box Yard Lumber Cars the end of the run. system, order of the cars in the train 2 Flats 8 Grain West whatever yard is stated in the orders 7 Grain 3 – Mile Yard COOP Hoppers is not important. I let the yardman Hoppers and put the engines in the house. 2 Sm Tank West 1 Gon Steel B. D. Fire Yard decide if he wants to make it easy or 2 Sm. Tank Systems On the back, I list all of my in-

Heatherton hard for the operators. (This always Power dustries/businesses and what From there, the operator may hook J.D. Fine cars are to be delivered and adds a little fun!) Furniture to another train and head out. If the Northern picked up at which industry. The operator would need to wait for an- Plastics Locals: If the card says it is for a Lo- card also shows the destina- North Yard other train or pick something up from tion of the cars that get picked cal, the orders will say something like TOFC another yard, those orders would be up. The highlighted row of the “switch cars out as stated on the back Gravel Pit above card reads like this; De- side of this card”. From there, the op- Figure 3: This is an example of Barge a Yard Work card, with the back Loading liver 1 box of lumber and 2 erator would go get the engines and

West Yard flats of lumber to Pa’s Lumber. hook up to the train in the yard once shown on the left (basically Pickup 2 empty flats and de- it is built. The caboose may already blank) and the front with the liver them to West Yard. be on the train. If not, the operator Orders shown on the right.

The System in Operation Each card provides all the information This simplified system furthers my goal you need to run a train. The front of to have fun and move as many trains the card carries basic train information as possible during an op session. I also and orders. You can write any special like as little confusion and the least orders for that train on the front in the amount of paperwork possible. special orders section of the card. For these reasons, I use the same card for yard work, thru-trains, and local In some scenarios, I have chosen spe- switching. I designate the jobs with a cific engines and cabooses. In others, I train number and description on the allow them to be chosen by the oper- front of the card. For example, the ator. The card makes it clear when any card could read: Train #03 Local, Train specific equipment is needed for the # 05 Thru-freight, or Yard Work. train, otherwise it simply says under Engines “pick 2” if no specific locos Yard Work: If the card says Yard Work are required. (figure 3), the orders side tells the

Page 80 • Jan 2012 MRH Simple car card system, page 2 found in the “Special Orders” section When I want to make changes or build Dealing with missed cars on the front of the card. a new scenario, I just start by editing Sometimes an operator will make a mistake the files on my computer. Thru-Freights: For a Thru-Freight, the and miss a car. For example, a car that was

orders would read something like “De- To see an example of this system in supposed to be dropped off was not delivered liver train 03 to North Yard for trans- operation, watch the video that goes – or a car was to be picked up and it was left Car Order fer.” It may say to bring another train with this article. Car Type: ______behind. back from that yard or to layover at Ship to: ______that point. What specifically to do will Results of this system When this happens, we just fill out a Car Order be in the Special Orders of that card. Card and add it to the next train. Figure 4 is an Quantity: ______One of my friends has also started us- example of this Card Order card. Scenarios ing my card system on his layout. As Special Orders: This card shows Car type, Ship to Location, ______a result, we are having a lot more fun I have set these cards up in sets that Quantity (how many cars), and a space where ______when we operate than we used to. It’s ______I call operating scenarios. My friends handy to have the same type of card Special Orders can be written in. ______and I will run through one scenario. ______system on both layouts. I make my Car Order cards in Microsoft Word. The next scenario will pick up from ______I make a simple text box 3 inches by 2 inches ______the ending point of the first scenario. My guys and I have found this to be an – I can fit 9 cards to a sheet, and can edit the easy and fun way to run trains. It’s easy One scenario is usually made up of  to read the cards they eliminate the card to change its look any time I want. 7 trains. That would be 7 Train Cards eyestrain of looking for car numbers. and usually 3 Yard Work Cards. The cards are numbered at the bottom to As a side benefit, I’ve also found that help me keep track of the order. building scenarios is a whole new fun activity in my free time. The guys are The last card sample shown is scenar- always interested in seeing what new io 2, yard card 1. scenario I’ve come up with!  It takes about 3 hours to do a scenario on my layout. I’ve built all the scenar- Reader ios and tested them first to make sure Feedback (click here) they are fun and realistic.

Tom Driscoll got a train set for Christmas and that started his love for trains. Twenty years later, Tom got hooked on N scale and has been an N scaler ever since. Tom and his 3 friends (they call themselves the N-scale cartel) exchange ideas, encourage each other and run operating sessions using the system he describes in this article. Tom, a carpenter and special projects coordinator, is 52 and lives in central Iowa with his wife, Joyce and his daughter, Heather. Click here to play this video ...

Page 81 • Jan 2012 MRH Simple car card system, page 3 How to Build a Simple Rail Barge for under $10

– by M.C. Fujiwara Figure 27. Photos by the author

The journey of a thousand dmit it: carfloats are cool. waterfront in their layout design just Shelf Layout” and, while we could miles begins with a single foot: Never mind that they also to have carfloat operations. have cut the Sylvan Model down to serve a very real function in length, the $30-something price went 12 inches of car float opens But while N-scale dockside structure delivering cars to and from “some- against our “use what we have” rule your layout to the world ... kits abound, carfloat models, as of whereA else” and thus provide a lot of for the project. So styrene it is! this writing, are limited to Sylvan staging in a small area. The thought of Model’s 16 ½” x 2 ½”, two-track resin Reader pulling Big Cars off a Small Boat seems Feedback kit (rail not included). My 9-year-old to bring a smile to most mouths, and daughter and I needed a 12” x 2 ½” (click here) many modelers purposefully include a carfloat for our “Summer Shunting

Page 82 • Jan 2012 MRH Build a simple rail barge, page 1 STEP 1: The Hull -

Figure 1: Tapering the front follows many prototypical designs, as Figure 2: Use a sharp blade to make multiple scoring passes until the well as helps prevent that “slab of styrene” look. styrene is smoothly cut through. If you attempt to “score & snap”, the thin end of the triangular section with break off unevenly.

One sheet of .08 plain styrene is enough for two 12” x 2 ½” basic barge To cut the taper, we clamped a straightedge onto the styrene to act as a shapes. Following some photos of prototypical rail barges (i.e. www.north- guide for the hobby knife. Even with a straightedge, go easy while cut- east.railfan.net/images/cnj1001.jpg), we tapered the front of the float down ting: .08 styrene is thick stuff, so multiple scoring passes work better than to 2” across, started from about 2 ½” back. The two lines down the center attempting deep cuts. are the guides for the 1” track centers.

Page 83 • Jan 2012 MRH Build a simple rail barge, page 2 Step 2: Rail & Deck Detail -

Figure 3: Use fine-grit sandpaper to rough up the interior surfaces Figure 4: Two PC board ties and three-legged gauges will ensure and create more tooth for the CA to better bond the two sections of rail spacing. After applying a thin layer of Gorilla Glue under the styrene together. rails, trust your eyeball to align the rails along the 1” track center pencil lines.

After cutting the hull shapes, we used fine-grit sandpaper to rough up the While the Sylvan Scale Model’s resin kit has the rail channels already cast surface a smidge, as well as slightly round the side edges, as we wanted a on the deck, we needed to ensure proper rail spacing and gauge using small channel running the length of the hull. other methods. We soldered PC board ties beyond the length of the carfloat, and then used three-legged gauges spaced out the length of the Not only do many photos of prototypes show this kind of hull detail, but we rails, along with various weights, to hold position while the Gorilla Glue, also wanted to avoid our carfloat appearing like a block of styrene. applied carefully under the rails, cured. Using CA, glue the two sheets together to form the hull. After dry, use a file or a Dremel with sanding drum to slightly curve the corners and to smooth the sides, taking care to not smooth away the groove in the side.

Page 84 • Jan 2012 MRH Build a simple rail barge, page 3 Step 2: Rail & Deck Detail Continued ... -

Figure 5: Keep the three-legged gauges spread out and in place Figure 6: With the flash and lettering filed off, the round tabs on while the Gorilla Glue dries to ensure proper rail spacing throughout Grandt Line NBW details sprues make great N scale buoyancy the deck. hatches. They’d probably make good manhole covers, too, when buried in tinted-spackled road surface. The most difficult aspect of this project is to attach the rails to the styrene deck: 1. straight, 2. consistently spaced, and 3. securely. Gorilla Glue is a liquid adhesive that creates a super-strong bond with After using a Dremel with a cutting disc to remove the rear overhang of rail, almost anything, but also expands and foams while curing. Using a tooth- we created the buoyancy ports by attaching circle-shaped tabs (taken from pick, apply very sparingly along the bottoms of the rails. Keeping the three- Grandt Line detail sprues and filed smooth) to the hull with CA. legged gauges in place, hold the rails near the PC board tie spacers at the ends and carefully lower onto the deck. The PC board tie spacers should hang over the ends of the deck (the back end ½” of rail with the PC tie will be cut off later, and the PC tie at the front will be “burnt” off with the soldering iron after the glue dries, leaving a long length of rail to attach to the apron later). Use weights to keep the rails in place while the Gorilla Glue cures, but make sure that the rails remain straight. Any foaming from the glue can be filed down later: right now you want rails straight and secure.

Page 85 • Jan 2012 MRH Build a simple rail barge, page 4 Step 2: Rail & Deck Detail Continued ... -

Figure 7: It’s all in the details: you can make cleats and bollards Figure 8: It’s all in the textures: Adding the .06 channel strips to the out of shaped styrene or wood, but the Seaport Model Works cast back of the bumpers takes a whopping 1-2 minutes, but adds a level metal details are relatively inexpensive, save time, and transform the of intricate interest to an otherwise blah backside that, being at the styrene slabs into realistic rail barges. end of the layout, will be a point of photographic prominence.

We ensured even spacing by marking in pencil at measured distances, leav- We constructed the bumpers out of scrap styrene and .06 channel strips ing space for the Seaport Model Works cleats and bollards left over from a that extend from the top of the L-shaped bumper to the bottom of the back previous layout. The white metal details have flash, and one must file the of the hull. bottom smooth for flush contact. Attach with CA.

Page 86 • Jan 2012 MRH Build a simple rail barge, page 5 STEP 3: Painting and Weathering -

Figure 9: Floquil Grimy Black spray paint (our favorite go-to color for track, buildings, details & tree trunks) provides an even, unobtrusive base coat. Highlights, soot, oil stains, guano, and rust will be added with a little dry brushing and a lot of powders. Figure 10: After the diluted white glue that secures the gravel/coal/ dirt droppings dries completely, brushing grey, soot and rust powders When all glue dried, we spray painted the entire model with an even coat of Floquil Grimy Black. A slightly lighter shade of grey would have been pre- over all surfaces help create a uniformly weathered look. ferred, but we used what we had. A light “misting” of ScaleCoat Graphite helped create the appearance of metal without being overbearingly shiny. Do not use a fixative agent, such as Dullcote, as it wets and renders the powders invisible. Given that no engines will travel onto the float, we did not scrape off the rail-top paint. For the carfloat apron, we couldn’t use a tower or any structure over ½”. Our portable shelf layout, made from two 12” x 36” sections connected by To weather the carfloat, we brushed on patches of slightly-diluted white a 12” x 3” spacer with hinges, folds over on itself to create a 1’ x 3’ x 4” box, glue and then applied fine-sifted gravel and coal to simulate spill-off. Using and the vertical space around the float and apron was already “occupied” a paint brush trimmed down to short, stiffer bristles, we covered the car- by the power pack box and oil storage/refinery on the other section. So we float with a variety of Bragdon’s Weathering Powders: mainly a medium created a low, floating apron by placing a wood/pc board deck between two grey, but also working in some darker soot and some rust streaks around the truncated sides of an Atlas C55 girder bridge. hull and detail edges.

Page 87 • Jan 2012 MRH Build a simple rail barge, page 6 STEP 4: Building the Apron Deck -

Figure 11: PC board ties, spaced out every ¾” or so between the 1/32” x 3/64” basswood boards, provide a secure place to solder the Figure 12: After soldering the rail to the apron deck, we cut the rail barge rail to the apron deck. at the car float edge to relieve any tension on the Gorilla Glue bond along the rails. A few coats of Floquil mixed paint turn the PC boards After installing the carfloat, we soldered the rails leading from the turnout to into wood ties. the float on the PC board ties, and then painted the ties a mix of Floquil SP Lettering Grey and Foundation to match the stained basswood (figure 11). I-beams attached to the deck outside the apron help conceal the lack of M.C. Fujiwara is a writer and editor, as well as the machinery, and Grandt Line NBW details along the wood side beams add model railroad layout designer of Yardgoat Layout something to an otherwise plain structure (figure 12). Design (www.yardgoatlayoutdesign.com). He lives in his native San Francisco Bay Area with his wife and To permanently attach the carfloat to our folding, portable layout, we fol- two children, who enjoy helping their dad build his lowed David K. Smith’s suggestion and drilled two holes through the hull’s 23”x 41” Mt. Coffin and Columbia River N-scale layout surface, the cured Magic Water, and into the MDF baseboard, and then by making trees, painting rocks, and running trains. secured the float with flat-head screws. In addition to soccer, reading, karate, drama and the 4th After the carfloat, apron and track were installed, we added Mod Podge grade, Uki Fujiwara prefers shunting operations over the gloss to create the water effects around the float. Fine-sifted gravel, dirt roundy-round, and thinks that drill-twirled twine pine trees and some ground foam gave some basic ground cover around the pier and look better, and are more fun to build, than scrub-pad and its adjoining two-track storage yard. As the engine is not allowed on the bamboo-skewer conifers. float itself, we use a 50’ flat car as the idler until we can make a proper idler She solders hand-laid turnouts while talking The Little gon with weighted load. Prince with Dad, and will probably earn her MMR in the next few decades.

Page 88 • Jan 2012 MRH Build a simple rail barge, page 7 STEP 5: Finishing Touches - Figures 13-14: A two-track, ten-car storage yard alongside the dock allows the space necessary to operate the carfloat. Each carfloat track holds three 50’/40’ cars, or four 36’ cars (barely). An extra one inch on the carfloat will allow four 40’ cars per track. Don’t forget to include coupler lengths when planning car spots! The carfloat holds between 6-8 cars (depending on car lengths between 36’ -50’). The layout includes industries / docks with 23 car spots, plus an interchange with the Southern Pacific with space for 6-7 cars, coming or going. So while a small (12”) sliver on a small (1’x6’) switching layout, this carfloat becomes the source and destination of transcontinental traffic, and so will have to make several trips to and from Oakland during the day just to keep up with all the traffic traversing the terminal. Model railroaders are always grappling with issues of limited space, but Figure 13 with a couple sheets of styrene, some rail and paint, you can build a carfloat and expand both the operations and the boundaries of your layout far, far beyond the shelf. And, of course, car floats look cool. 

List of Materials .08 plain styrene sheet, Evergreen (1) .06 channel styrene strip, Evergreen (2”) Code 55 rail, ME (four 16” lengths) Cleats, Seaport Model Works (8/1 package) Bollards, Seaport Model Works (2/½ package) Circle-shaped sprue tabs, Grandt Line detail parts (8) Grimy Black Floquil spray paint Fine-sifted gravel/coal droppings Bragdon Weathering Powders (Grey, Soot, Rust) Figure 14 Gorilla Glue CA Reader Feedback As we complete more scenery around the carfloat, we’ll add some ropes, White Glue (click here) chains and other dockside details, but for now our trackwork is complete Flat-head ¾” screws (2) and our carfloat staging is operational and ready to send and receive traffic File/Dremel with Sanding Drum from the off-layout world of Oakland and beyond.

Page 89 • Jan 2012 MRH Build a simple rail barge, page 8 N-trak by the water ... The Columbia River N Scale club

Figure 1

ometimes it pays to listen to the Oregon area is blessed with. I knew Figure 1: N scale allows a bigger – by Charlie Comstock rumor mill. I don’t even remem- that there had been an Oregon Trunk picture with respect to scenery ber who it was that asked me Line layout (modeling track beside the and trains. The size and depth of “Have you seen the layout in the Deschutes River in central Oregon) in the hills compared to the trains Sbasement of The Hobby Smith?” Reader the Hobby Smith’s previous location. feels right. Add in some ultra- Feedback The Hobby Smith is one of the many But a layout there now? That was realistic water modeling in the (click here) trains-only hobby shops the Portland, news to me. river and you elicit an “Oh wow!”

Page 90 • Jan 2012 MRH Columbia River N scale club, page 1 Go to Trackplan Figure 3

As luck would have it, I didn’t get here in Oregon and we’ve got just Figure 3: Another view of the over to look at the layout for several absolutely tremendous prototypical highway bridge in the distance in months. When I did, it looked pretty scenery to model. figure 2. interesting featuring scenes from along the Columbia River. Dallas: We enjoy the fact that the six or eight feet of south side but it all club models an area with so much works together, everybody recognizes If you’re not from the Portland area, scenery and train action plus the the scenes. Figure 2 the Columbia River demarcates the area is recognizable to lots of people. boundary between Oregon and We decided to model both sides of MRH: What attracted you to N scale? Figure 2: N-trak specifies track Washington. Railroads run through the Columbia River even though that Dallas: I saw this layout many years spacing at the end of a module rugged scenery going east from means jumping the river and some ago and I was impressed that there or set of modules. But there is no Portland on both sides through what scenes are “backwards”. People walk were such small trees and huge specification for how to handle locals call “The Gorge.” Traffic is heavy up to us and say, “I’ve been there.” amounts of scenery – it looked real. scenery transitions between on both lines, feeding four yards in That makes you feel good because You can’t do that in a lot of other modules. The Columbia River Portland and Vancouver, Washington. they knew immediately what you’re N scale Club has a number of scales because the scenery ele- I made arrangements to return with trying to model. multiple module sets such as ments are so much bigger. Here the cameras to photograph the layout Biggs where the scenery and MRH: What railroads are you modeling? scenery just seems to fit and we get and interview club members David tracks flow smoothly before a lot more trains, a lot more run- Waterstreet and Dallas Tyhurst. Dallas: The Union Pacific on the south ning, and a lot more switching in our returning to the N-trak mandated bank and the Burlington Northern MRH: What sets you and your mod- limited space. It just seemed like the module ends. The backlit telephoto (Santa Fe) on the north bank. They ules apart from other N-trak clubs? right scale for us. shot shows off this sweeping follow the river east from Portland. curve on a three-module set David: Probably the biggest thing is Because we model both sides, there MRH: The track to scenery ratio is demonstrating the dividends paid the area we are modeling. We’re next are some places where there are six definitely biased toward scenery here by the multi-module approach. door to the gorgeous Columbia Gorge or eight feet of north side followed by which helps make it look realistic.

Page 91 • Jan 2012 MRH Columbia River N scale Club, page 2 Go to Trackplan Dallas: That’s one of the things we saw and were excited about early on – that you can have a lot of scenery with the trains. You don’t have to make the mountains 15 feet tall to look realistic. Here we are with two feet and things look great. MRH: What kind of things are you doing scenically to take advantage of that? Dallas: We try to make the modules feel really big. Sometimes we string two or three modules together – that lets us do a more realistic job of modeling interesting scenes. It makes the modules look more like a railroad – dwarfed by the scenery. MRH: Why N-trak? Dallas: We like to run lots of trains at once. More people means more trains, which means more fun. MRH: Do you play any games with the scenery to break up the three-track Figure 4 look on every module? David: We have a couple of modules David: The biggest problem folks talk fragile – you have to be more careful of Figure 4: UP local east bound, that look like single track. We used about is simply the size of N scale. what you’re doing and how you model crossing the bridge at Still Creek. the N-trak standard but hid two of the Particularly a lot of the modelers who details (and handle them). Modeling both sides of the tracks behind the scenery for several are older have arthritic fingers, and river sometimes results in UP MRH: What about availability of stuff equipment in a BNSF scene or modules before bringing it out again. it gets harder and harder to handle in N scale? That let us keep the operational inten- the small trains. But with a little bit of vice-versa. Oh well... sity of N-trak though it looks like sin- finesse you can work through that. Dallas: The model railroad manufac- gle track mainline. turers have come a long way in the us. Manufacturers are jumping on Detail is another issue, but it’s just how last 15 years. the N scale bandwagon which is nice. MRH: Have you had problems with much attention you want to devote to N scale was kind of like a stepchild MRH: You’re starting to see a revolu- N-trak or N scale? it in the small scale. When you come for a long time while HO had every- tion going on in N scale ... Dallas: I can’t really think of prob- down to it, we can have as much detail thing. But N is starting to pick up and lems, though It does take a while to as the HO modelers do on our layouts. Dallas: There is. We’re starting to see it makes easier to build a layout. We set up the layout at shows. But the detail is much smaller and a lot more stuff coming out to help don’t have to scratchbuild as much.

Page 92 • Jan 2012 MRH Columbia River N scale Club, page 3 Go to Trackplan MRH: You said the club got started in The only shows we’re doing now are Saturday March 31, 2012. The show’s “pocket legs”. The modules have 1984. You must have quite a large col- combined with other clubs like the website is www.meetnmarch.org for standard leg “pockets” and the legs lection of modules by now. How many Meet ‘N March (www.meetnmarch. anyone who wants more information. are all the same. Just lift up a mod- are there, besides those here in the org) show we have every March. We ule, stick the legs in the pockets and In addition to the modular layout basement of The Hobby Smith? work with two other N-trak clubs to you’re done. there will be a swap meet (concen- put that on. We build a big layout Dallas: We’ve got about half of them trating on N scale) and a series of clin- with all those modules, plus there are MRH: Interchangeable parts ... down here. The other half are in a ics on lots of modeling topics. Many a couple of extra guest modules. trailer parked at a member’s house. of the clinics are scale independent Dallas: Exactly. It makes set up and They’re mainly for shows. When we MRH: What is the Meet in March? in case any large scale people want to take down much faster. We also go to a show we usually leave these come. have a couple of modules that use down here – it’s too hard to carry David: The Meet ‘N’ (as in N scale) dowel alignment pins. They make them up and down the stairs. March is an annual meet we have. MRH: Getting back to the modules the alignment painless. You just line Three clubs work together to put on and layout, now that you’ve built all MRH: How long does it take you to set them up, put the dowels in, put the up at a show? the meet. They connect their modules of these, have you found anything clamps on, connect the wiring, and together to make a much larger layout that you would have done differently? you’re almost ready to go. We’ll be David: Oh, typically two to three hours, than an individual club could manage. doing more of that. Dallas: Well one thing we learned but that’s when we have the complete Using the N-trak standard it all goes for sure was that having legs cus- layout. With half of the modules left in together pretty quickly. MRH: How do you deal with inter- the basement, it’s faster. tomized for each every module module wiring? The next one is coming the last week- was a huge pain. That made them Figure 5: A UP local switching the end in March 2012 in Beaverton, slow to tear down and set up. We Figure 6: Another view of the Avery elevator at Avery. Oregon. It’s open to the public on decided to put in what we call elevator getting switched.

Figure 5 Figure 6

Page 93 • Jan 2012 MRH Columbia River N scale Club, page 4 Go to Trackplan David: We standardized all our wiring. We still use the Cinch-Jones plugs for the main power bus. For the Digitrax DCC system, we use modular phone wiring and connectors. It goes together pretty quickly. The Meet ‘N March modular layout group taught the clubs to pay attention to inter-club module connections. We need some special cables for that. Originally each club showed up and nothing was compatible! We’ve Figure 7a worked through that issue so we have compatibility going forward with com- Having Fun With Trains – clockwise from the upper left: mon plugs and connection techniques. Figure 7a: Jerry Green running his CORP train through MRH: That must make set up faster! Biggs eastbound. Figure 7b: Steve Dishman enjoying his pair of NP GP9’s David: Oh, it really does! westbound through Biggs. MRH: How about teardown? Figure 7c: David Waterstreet installs his car fleet at one Dallas: It’s a snap. of the yards while Mike Steiner looks on. David: It’s an “un” snap. Figure 7d: Dallas Tyhurst (left) and David Waterstreet (right) at the east end yard. Figure 7b MRH: Groan ... Dallas: We pull everything apart and put it in a trailer. Lifting modules off their legs and loading them up takes next to no time. David: Most clubs develop a system where the trailers they use to transport their modules all have a storage plan. Each module goes a particular way on a particular shelf in a particular order which makes it very easy to move them. When we break down the layout, we know the correct order to load up the modules and where Figure 7d Figure 7c

Page 94 • Jan 2012 MRH Columbia River N scale Club, page 5 Go to Trackplan they go in the trailer. Tear down is his equipment. We do invite folks to very quick. Set up is definitely the lon- come down and run with us. ger process. MRH: How do you organize module MRH: Do you have any test proce- building? Do you plan ahead which dures for rolling stock before it’s modules will be built? allowed on the layout? Dallas: It’s kind of a group effort. Dallas: Not really. We probably should, We’re in the planning stages right but we don’t. Members run whatever now for replacing the Shoemaker Mill they bring. If it doesn’t run right, we module. But that’s probably a year tell them to take it off and fix it, so the down the road. other member’s trains can run. MRH: Do you assign one guy to make David: We’re a DCC club, so all loco- this module, another guy the next one, motives must have a decoder. the one after that somebody else, but they’re working to a plan to keep the MRH: Do you have problems where people bring stuff down and insist on modules scenically compatible? running it even thought it wasn’t ready? Dallas: No, it’s all a group effort. David: Anyone who does that is gently David: We stick to the N-trak standard encouraged to upgrade their locomo- because the other modules were built tive to DCC and install Micro-Trains cou- to that standard. For a new module to plers. However if a guy has a train with hook up to the existing ones it has to Rapido couplers on it, as long as it’s DCC meet the track spacing standard. equipped, that’s fine. He just won’t be able to interface with any of the other We do basic module construction like rolling stock on our layout, but there’s carpentry off site in a member’s garage nothing wrong with that. It’s his train, where we have the necessary saws. Then we’ll bring it here to finish it. Figure 8: Montana Rail Link power MRH: The basement train room is too isn’t often seen along the Columbia neat to be a construction zone? Gorge, but four MRL units are pulling a string of double stacks David: We use a work room off to the through Hood on the Washington side to work on module construction. side (north bank). The club is MRH: What do you do to enhance flexible about parent railroads module rigidity and reduce weight? though they prefer UP and BNSF. It would be difficult to model scenery Dallas: Well, we use foam, foam-core of this magnitude in a larger scale board, or whatever to keep it light. without having a huge space. MRH: Foam-core board? Figure 8

Page 95 • Jan 2012 MRH Columbia River N scale Club, page 6 Go to Trackplan Figure 9: An eastbound UP grain train passes the elevator at Biggs. Judging from all the covered hoppers, it must be harvest season.

surface already is cast into it. It’s great for ravines or rock outcroppings. You can do the same with hardshell if you don’t want a rocky look. MRH: How does the system work? David: That’s almost a clinic subject all by itself! It comes as a two-part resin. You mix it and pour it into a latex mold and in five or 10 minutes it sets up. Then you can pull it out of the mold and it’s as flexible and rubbery as the latex mold itself. At that point you can shape the rocks however you want for your new landscape. Typically I hot glue the new rocks on some sort of framework to keep the landscape’s shape intact until it sets Figure 9 hard – about another 15 minutes. MRH: So you make an armature like Dallas: Sure, for roads or other flat and used plaster. We have been David: In my experience, raw materi- cardboard mesh or pink foam? spots. We use pink foam or white experimenting with the geodesic als tend to be a little more expensive. David: You can. Or you can use pieces foam for 3D scenery. Anything to foam though and used it on a couple But we found there is so much time of blue or pink board carved to an make it lightweight so we don’t kill of modules. But we haven’t gone full saved, that it makes sense to use the outline of the terrain. Then hot glue scale with that method yet. ourselves moving it. foam. Plus geodesic foam scenery is the rocks directly to it. MRH: Is the foam working for you? flexible and doesn’t crack. MRH: Is the scenery plaster-based or MRH: You mean you cut contour have you moved to something else David: I’ve done a number of layouts MRH: Flexible? frames out of the blue stuff? such as Bragdon Geodesic Foam? using it. It works very well and I’m David: When a rock casting comes out David: Yes, then you drape the foam very enthusiastic about it. David: We experimented with geo- of the mold it has tremendous elas- rocks over it and they harden up in desic foam a little, but most of these MRH: How does it’s cost compare ticity. You can bend and form it into about 15 or 20 minutes. If you decide modules are a number of years old with plaster scenery? any shape you want – but the rock you don’t like how it looks you’re not

Page 96 • Jan 2012 MRH Columbia River N scale Club, page 7 Go to Trackplan Figure 10

stuck. You can use a heat gun to warm dab up the puddles with a brush. Use David: If the rocks have deep crevices Figure 10: Who says you can’t it up and it turns flexible again so it several different colors and overspray I dust on black powdered tempera have detailed scenes in N scale? can be reshaped. It’s also possible onto the existing colors. They’ll blend working it into the cracks. The trestle in the background at to cut strips of rocks from different to give you a natural color. Still Creek shows this module has implemented the optional N-trak molds and glue them next to each Once you’ve got it in place come back other to model geological strata. MRH: Which colors work best? mountain line. Those roads are with a wet sponge and start dabbing based on foam-core board. MRH: How do you color it? David: We use umbers, siennas, off the black tempera from the outer ochres, red oxide, and grays. Some surfaces of the rocks leaving wet tem- David: The easiest way is to cover David: Yes. A little bit washes down black to enhance crevices in the rocks. pera in the crevices. the rock with a gesso, a white artist’s and you get simulated erosion. You primer. We use highly thinned water MRH: When the sprayed-on colors dry, can play with that by changing how based paint in a spray bottle (like a do you go back and dry-brush it or use MRH: Does the sponge need to be wet the sponge is. Let the tempera dry, Windex® bottle). You squirt it on, then some diluted black for highlights? pretty wet when you do that? then start with the spray bottle colors.

Page 97 • Jan 2012 MRH Columbia River N scale Club, page 8 Go to Trackplan A lot of these rocks get anywhere rock mold it’s in, it’s pretty stiff. You from five to a dozen sprayings over can’t bend it around a hillside. a period of several days or a week MRH: I put plaster rocks on a hillside allowing time for each coat to dry. You while they’re still in the mold and the just keep working it until you get the plaster is still a little bit flexible. shading effect and the color you like. David: And how messy is that? MRH: Then you finish it with ground foam, static grass, or whatever? MRH: I learned when to put the mold on the scenery. Too soon and the plas- David: That’s the next step. ter can run or squeeze out. Too late MRH: Can you drill foam rocks to and you end up with cracked rocks. make holes for tree spikes? David: Another thing about Bragdon’s David: Yes. Or if you have a sharp awl rock molds, they’re available up to 2 and you stab it hard enough you can x 3 feet in size or even larger. You can punch a tree mounting hole that way cover a lot of real estate in a hurry too. It’s an exciting technique. with those. Figure 11b MRH: And pretty light weight com- MRH: I don’t want to try a three foot pared with plaster? long plaster mold! That would defi- Figure 11a: Looking past Avery (elevator) toward Home Valley and Hood. nitely be really messy ... Figure 11b: Overall view of the basement layout room. David: Very much so, and with plaster, once you get the plaster out of the David: I’ll bet! Figure 11c: Three modules make up Biggs.

Figure 11a Figure 11c

Page 98 • Jan 2012 MRH Columbia River N scale Club, page 9 Go to Trackplan MRH: The water in the river has such great waves. How did it get made? Dallas: We start by doing the land- forms where we’re planning on having the water. We smooth down the water bed making it as flat as possible. Then we come along with joint compound. We spread it everywhere we want the water. Then, while the joint compound is still wet, we get a sponge, wet it on the edge and dab it into the joint compound to lift it up and make little waves all across the surface – as many as we want and as high as we want. We make sure to Figure 12 keep the sponge-dabs lined up so the waves will be mostly parallel to each Figure 12: MRL locos with the other. We let that dry for a few days double stack passing under and check it for cracks. Washington State Highway 14. If there are any cracks we repair them with more joint compound and let that dry until the water surface looks good. Then we paint it a bluish green, “... while the joint com- lighter around the edges and darker in pound is still wet, we get the middle where it’s deeper. a sponge, wet it on the After that dries for a few days we edge and dab it into the paint on a couple of coats of acrylic gloss medium to make it reflect the joint compound to lift it light. up and make little waves MRH: Well, thank you guys for talking all across the surface ...” with me. David: No problem! Reader Dallas: We enjoyed having you visit Feedback Click here to play this video ... our club. Thanks for coming.  (click here)

Page 99 • Jan 2012 MRH Columbia River N scale Club, page 10 Go to Trackplan N-trak by the water ... The Columbia River N scale Club

Fig 11a Looking back on 2011! stairs (up) Looking forward to 2012! Washougal

Fig 6

work room

Fig 9 Avery

Fig 4

Fig 5

Fig 10 dispatcher table Fig 12

Fig 3 Still Creek

Fig 8 Fig 7c Fig 7b Biggs East Yard Fig 1 Cape Horn

Hood West Yard

Fig 7a

Cascade

Fig 11b Cliffs Shoemaker Mill Fig 2 Fig 11c Fig 7d

Layout type: N-trak modular Grade: no grade on mainline Your online model Mainline length: 185’ loop (about 6.5 Turnouts: Peco #6 scale miles) Control: Digitrax DCC with radio train helper! Elevation: 40” (standard N-Trak height) throttles

Page 100 • Jan 2012 MRH Columbia River N scale Club, page 11 MRH News Desk: Our new-and-improved news section! January 2012

Model Railroad News ceases publication. Atlas O, LLC was established in 1997 as a separate business About our In early December, just as the combined November/ entity to produce various O scale products including track, News & Events December edition of Model Railroad News was going freight cars, locomotives, and accessories. “The merger to press, Michael Lindsay, founder and publisher of the accomplishes family business planning and makes for a more Editor magazine, announced that the publication was ending effective and unified organization,” said Haedrich. “On a day- it’s nearly 16-year run. Although Lindsay’s announcement to-day basis, the merger provides a more efficient structure came as a surprise to members of the hobby, rumors of for sales, marketing, distribution, and administration.” financial difficulties began to circulate several months ago The roots of Atlas Model Railroad Co. Inc., extend nearly when the magazine missed publishing on cover dates. nine decades to 1924 when Stephan Schaffan Sr., founded It later announced that it would catch up by combin- Atlas Tool Company in Newark, New Jersey. In 1949, his son, ing multiple months into a single issue. A combination Stephan Schaffan Jr., reorganized the family business as Atlas of the nation’s bleak economy, rising production costs, Tool Co. Inc., in Hillside, New Jersey. and a steady decline in both renewals and new subscrip- Four generations of the Schaffan family are active in the tions left Lindsay no choice but to shut down all opera- operation of Atlas Model Railroad Co. Inc., with Diane tions. At press time, no announcement had been made Schaffan Haedrich, daughter of Stephan Schaffan Jr., and on how subscribers would be compensated for unfulfilled spouse of CEO Thomas W. Haedrich, serving as president. subscriptions… Jarrett Schaffan Haedrich is vice president of marketing, and Jesse Schaffan Haedrich, a recent college graduate, is active Bachmann does the right thing. in product design and development.... Richard Bale writes our news Just before releasing the initial shipment of its highly- column under the byline of anticipated On30 Heisler locomotive, Bachmann’s state- Now let’s talk about some new products… The Old Yardmaster. He has side quality control team detected a noise problem in a been writing about the model railroad trade for various sealed bearing of the locomotive. The entire shipment hobby publications since the is being returned to the overseas factory for a complete NEW PRODUCTS FOR MULTIPLE SCALES 1960s. retrofit. There’s no word yet on how long it might take to TransAlert division of Simmons-Boardman Books (tran- replace the bearing or when the Heisler’s will be available. He enjoys building models, salert.com/clc) is selling new copies of the 1997 Car & particularly structures, some Meanwhile, we salute Bachmann for admitting a mistake Locomotive Cyclopedia at $99.00 plus shipping. With more of which appeared in the and doing the right thing to fix it… than 1100 pages of prototype photos, technical drawings, June 2006 issue of Model Atlas and Atlas O. and advertisements, the hardcover 44th edition of the rail- Railroader magazine. road industry bible captures a recent decade (1990s) of Atlas and Atlas O have merged with the O scale specialty change in railroad technology. Technical material covers company becoming a wholly owned subsidiary of Atlas freight cars, diesel and electric locomotives, passenger cars, Reader Model Railroad Company, Inc. The announcement was high-speed trainsets, coupling systems, intermodal equip- Feedback made December 28 by Atlas chairman and chief executive ment, trucks and bearings, braking systems, and more. There (click here) officer Thomas W. Haedrich. is also a section on steam locomotives.

Page 101 • Jan 2012 MRH Old Yardmaster - Industry scuttlebutt, page 1 Troels Kirk has released a after photo (left) compares a Kadee® with a standard knuckle (left) with Foothill DVD in which the Danish Model’s extended knuckle on the right. FMW item 4008 includes one pair of lost artist demonstrates how wax, white-bronze, extended knuckle castings that can used to convert Kadee® he uses acrylics and pas- #5, McHenry™ HO couplers, or Bachmann® E-Z Mate® Mark II HO couplers. Also tel chalks to obtain the included is an optional pair of white bronze castings to convert a pair of Kadee® realistic coloring of struc- style coupler shanks into scale, slotted shanks suitable for mounting in a locomo- tures, rolling stock, and tive link & pin draw head. The conversion kit sells for $6.50. The somewhat chal- scenery on his On30 Coast lenging procedure can be previewed at the firm’s website. Line Railroad. Instructions are in English and include choosing correct paint and brushes for the job, mixing colors, brush techniques, and various practical applications. The 60 minute DVD is priced at $30.00, plus $5.00 for international shipping. To order visit no13.se/coastline/shop.html.

DigCom Designs offers a large selection of printed containers at attractive prices. The selection includes logos and paint schemes for CN’s new 53’ containers, J.B. Hunt’s three new door color variations, and new 53’ reefer containers for C.R. England. DigCom Designs’ websites are geographically restricted as follows: For hobbyists in the United States and Canada visit myworld.ebay. com/digcomdesigns; Australia cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ite m=180676092007&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT; Mexico articulo.mercado- libre.com.mx/MLM-64714064-contenedores-p-trenes-escalas-ho-n-catalogo- McKenzie Iron & Steel Company is selling an O scale kit to build this K-W log truck. gratis-nuevo-_JM; and the United Kingdom www.ukmodelshops.co.uk/ Construction requires a Revell Kenworth donor kit (#H-1821 Honest John Missile suppliers/1620-Ukdigcomuk. Hauler) not included. Visit McKenzie’s newly revised website at mckenzieironand- steel.com for additional details including availability of the donor kit. O SCALE PRODUCT NEWS Foothill Model Works (foothillmodelworks.com) has developed an extended HO SCALE PRODUCT NEWS knuckle for HO scale Accurail (accurail.com) has a couplers that solves the 3-car set of kits for a 40’ wood problem of cars having double-deck Santa Fe class mismatched coupler SK-z stock cars. The models heights. The problem are painted mineral red with is particularly com- yellow doors as seen here. mon with On30 equip- The 3-pack of kits is priced at ment. The before and $42.98.

Page 102 • Jan 2012 MRH Old Yardmaster - Industry scuttlebutt, page 2 Athearn plans to deliver several freight cars in August including a 40’ double- door boxcar decorated for Ashley Drew & Northern, Santa Fe, Canadian Pacific, and Great Northern; an ACF 2970 cu ft covered hopper with etched-metal roof walks, wire grab irons, and roof hatches matched to the prototype usage for BNSF, Conrail, CSXT, and Union Pacific. Also coming in August are 52’ mill gondolas for Burlington Northern (black body), Canadian National, CP Rail, GONX- Rail Gon, and Union Pacific; and a 24’ ore car from upgraded MDC tooling for Canadian National, Great Northern, Soo Line, and Union Pacific. The ore cars are available individually at $19.98 and in a selection of four 6-packs at $109.98. All come with a removable ore load. Two versions of a PFE 40’ steel refrigerator car are also expected in August. Nine road numbers will be available for a car with red roof and ends, and SP and UP black and white heralds. The second PFE car features black ends and san serif lettering. Both styles are priced at $25.98 each. Also new from Accurail is a kit for this Burlington 40’ steel plug-door refrigerator car at $15.98. Accurail kits come with free-rolling trucks and Accumate™ couplers.

Intermodal modelers can anticipate delivery in August of a 2-pack of 53’ trailer chassis at $34.98. Each package has two new container floors to replace any on hand that may not be compatible with these chassis. In addition to the Norfolk Southern trailer shown here, other carrier names include BNSF, CSX, Hunt, Pacer, and Union Pacific. The chassis numbers are different from any previous runs. Also due in August are 3-packs of 53’ Jindo containers for Tote, Crowley, Axsun Group, and CSX. Athearn division of Horizon Hobby (athearn.com) is estimating an August delivery date for two new Genesis series GP9 diesels. An Erie Lackawanna locomotive will be in the run along with a Western Pacific unit in two different paint schemes including a version with a single white chevron on the front and rear, and one with multiple black chevrons as seen above.

Other locomotives planned for August include a DCC-ready AC4400 diesel deco- Atlas Model Railroad Company (atlasrr.com) has scheduled another produc- rated for BNSF (above), CP Rail, Ferromex, and Southern Pacific. Also coming is tion run of its HO scale version of General Electric’s 4,000 hp Dash 8-40C and a GP38-2 for Duluth, Winnepeg & Pacific; Seaboard System; Pittsburgh & Lake CW (wide nose safety cab) locomotives for arrival during the 2nd quarter of Erie; and Ferromex. this year. The ready-to-run models will be available with and without DCC. The

Page 103 • Jan 2012 MRH Old Yardmaster - Industry scuttlebutt, page 3 Master™ Series Gold models will be priced at $259.95 and will come with a Dual-Mode® decoder (allows operation in DCC or standard DC), and QSI® Titan sound decoder. Atlas’s Silver series DCC-ready models will have an MSRP of $159.95 and will come with an NMRA 8-pin plug (no decoder or sound). The limited edition models are $10.00 more. This is a good time to mention that due to the higher starting voltage required to operate the sound system, it is Bachmann Trains (bachmanntrains.com) has an HO scale model of a North not possible to MU non-sound and sound-equipped locos in DC mode. Also, the American style 380-ton Schnabel transformer car. The unique design of the manufacturer recommends a minimum radius of 22” for reliable operation. Schnabel allows it to carry extremely heavy and or oversized loads by making Special features of the Dash 8-40C/CW models include directional lighting, the load an element of the car. Outsized loads typically handled by the proto- uncoupling bars, number boards, a sand hatch, MU and train line hoses, snow- type include power station generators and transformers. Bachmann’s HO scale plow and piping on trucks, painted crew members, and AccuMate® knuckle cou- model is 27.5″ long which is a whopping 199 scale feet. The ready-to-run model plers. Additional details on the CW versions include both ditch lights and marker is available in blue and black with a gray load, or gray and black with an oxide lights where appropriate by road name. Road names include Canadian National, red load. Both schemes come with black trucks. The Schnabel is also available in CN 15th Anniversary, and FNM. New CW versions will be available for Conrail red and black with a gray load and silver trucks, as seen here. All versions have Quality, CSX (patched CR Quality), and Norfolk Southern (patched CR Quality). an MSRP of $235.00 New road numbers for previously released road names include BNSF and Union Pacific. Undecorated models will be offered for CSX/UP style, Santa Fe style, and Bowser Manufacturing (bowser-trains.com) plans to release its newly- Conrail style locomotives. A special limited edition model will be decorated as CSX tooled HO scale Alco Century C-636 diesel locomotive this summer in 13 paint “George H. W. Bush Campaign” in a blue and yellow paint scheme. schemes. Features of the ready-to-run model include brass MU hoses, brass air hoses, etched-brass windshield wipers, steel grab irons, steel coupler lift bars, operating headlight, window glass, can-motor with flywheels, nickel silver RP25 wheels, knuckle couplers, and installed handrails. Road names will be Alco Demonstrator, Illinois Central, Burlington Northern, SP&S, SP&S/BN, Penn Central, Conrail, MK Leasing, Cartier (QCM- Quebec Cartier Mining), Delta Bulk Terminal, Penn Central-Conrail Patch, NYSW, and SIXX. DC analog versions come with an NMRA 8-pin plug. The C-636 models will have an MSRP of $199.95. Models equipped with DCC and sound (SoundTraxx Tsunami Digital Sound Decoders) will list at AAR 50’ postwar single-door boxcars will also be arriving from Atlas dur- $299.95 each. ing the second quarter of this year. These are ready-to-run versions of the Bowser expects to recently acquired Branchline Blueprint series models. Prototype details include release another run of improved Dreadnaught ends, diagonal panel roofs, 8’ and 9’ Superior or 100-ton triple-bay hop- Youngstown doors, and three different side-sill styles – straight, tabbed, and per cars this month. In fishbelly. addition to the C&O The HO scale model will have separately applied ladders and grab irons, and scheme shown here machined metal wheelsets. Road names will include Chicago & Eastern Illinois, with Chessie Cat herald, the Executive line HO scale ready-to-run model will Family Line (SCL), Grand Trunk Western, Milwaukee Road, Pennsylvania, and also be available decorated for B&O (Chessie Cat), Western Maryland (Chessie Western Maryland. Decorated models will have an MSRP of $27.95 with undec- Cat), R&N (red end), R&N (blue end), W&LE, Chicago North Western (yellow orated versions priced at $22.95. end), CSXT (Ease Up), Pennsylvania Power & Light Company (Ready Kilo), and Norfolk Southern.

Page 104 • Jan 2012 MRH Old Yardmaster - Industry scuttlebutt, page 4 (Hunter green with silver-gray lettering). Notable features of the BCS series include individual car names and numbers, separate wire handrails, interior details including interior lighting that works in either DC or DCC mode, working end diaphragms, detailed end-door scissors gates, knuckle couplers, and appropriate trucks with RP-25 metal wheels. Solarium cars have an MSRP of $77.98. All other cars have a list price of $69.98. Centralia Car Shops is working on a Southern Pacific C-40-4 bay-window caboose for deliver late this summer. This is the successor to SP’s C-30-6 and the predecessor to the C-50-2. The C-40-4 saw duty on the Southern Pacific beginning in 1961. The HO scale ready-to-run model will have interior details, wire grab irons, etched-metal running boards, and Kadee® couplers. The car will ride on new swing-motion roller bearing trucks. Paint variations on the initial release will include boxcar red body, a similar scheme with end-mounted mark- ers, and a boxcar red body with orange bay. The C-40-4 will have an MSRP of $49.95. Centralia Car Shops products are marketed by InterMountain Railway (intermountain-railway.com). ExactRail (exactrail.com) has introduced an HO scale model of a Thrall 2244 cu ft 52’6” 15-panel steel gondola. The Evolution series model is based on a pro- Concept Models (con-sys.com) has a resin casting for creating an HO scale Kasgro totype that was built with a heavy-duty top chord to reinforce the sides of the heavy-duty depressed center flat car. Kasgro designed the modern prototype to open car. Priced at $29.95 each, ExactRail is offering the ready-to-run model carry large boiler loads. The kit includes resin castings and assembly hardware decorated for Rock Island, Chicago North Western, Conrail, and DT&I. The only. Instructions are photo illustrated. Hand grabs, ladders, and related detailing model comes with Kadee® #5 couplers and ASF 100-ton Ride Control® trucks are not provided. The car rides on five pairs of special 100-ton trucks. The trucks with 36” wheels. are not included in the kit but sideframes may be purchased separately. Other new products just released from ExactRail include an Evans-USRE 5277 Con-Cor Trains (con-cor.com) continues to expand its selection of heavyweight cu ft boxcar. The Evolution series model features individually formed wire grab equipment from the golden era of passenger rail travel that was later assigned irons, brake rods, and uncoupling levers. The Plate C model is priced at $29.95 to branchline, commuter, and suburban service (BCS). In developing this series of HO scale ready-to-run passenger cars, Con-Cor selected 65 foot cars that can reliably handle curves with a minimum radius of 18 inches – typical of the average home layout. The latest BCS release includes equipment decorated for Southern Railway (two-tone green Crescent Limited scheme), Southern Pacific (red, orange and black Daylight scheme), Royal American Shows Carnival Train, and Denver & Rio Grande Western (silver and Aspen orange) as seen here. Another production run of the 1920-1950 era heavyweight cars scheduled for release later this month includes equipment for Chesapeake & Ohio (Pullman green George Washington scheme with Dulux gold lettering and black roof), similarly decorated cars for Nickel Plate Road, and New York New Haven & Hartford

Page 105 • Jan 2012 MRH Old Yardmaster - Industry scuttlebutt, page 5 and is available decorated for LOAM - Louisiana Midland “The Natchez Route;” grab irons, metal wheelsets, and Kadee® couplers. IMRC expects the initial pro- RI with “Route Rock” slogan; Lake Erie, Franklin & Clarion Railroad Company; duction run will be ready for release late this summer. The suggested list price RBOX – RailBox with black door; and Burlington Northern. An undecorated kit will be $38.95. is available at the same price. The model is equipped with Kadee® #5 couplers and Barber 70-ton S-2 trucks with 33” wheels.

Fox Valley Models (foxvalleymodels.com) is taking reservations for second quarter delivery of an HO scale Soo Line 7-post boxcar with a diagonal panel roof. In addition to the original Soo Line (box car red) version, the car will also be available decorated for Soo Line (white with red door), Wisconsin Central, Great Northern (Big Sky blue), Burlington Northern (green), Montana Rail Link, BNSF (box car red with small circle cross), and undecorated. In addition to the newly tooled roof, other features include separate metal grab irons, separate ladders, Kadee® couplers, and etched-metal end walks. The ready-to-run models will have an MSRP of $30.95. Kadee Quality Products (kadee.com) will release several new HO scale ready- to-run models to dealers next month including a Pullman green TPW 40’ PS-1 InterMountain Railway Company boxcar with a 7’ door, a 50’ PS-1 boxcar with a 10’ Youngstown door deco- (intermountain-railway.com) is rated for Rock Island in the original 1969 boxcar red, and, as seen here, a two- developing an HO version of an AAR bay PS-2 outside braced covered hopper painted light gray and decorated for Alternate Standard 50-ton, 2-bay, Southern Pacific in red letters. open-top hopper car. The design work, as illustrated here, has been com- pleted and preparation of the tooling is underway. Freight car expert Ed Hawkins has followed the HO scale project and reports that the models will have detailed interiors that portray the offset sides and U-section side- stakes. Initially, two versions of the hopper will be produced including one with flat ends as built by GATC and AC&F for Northern Pacific in the early 1940s. The second version is based on a Chesapeake & Ohio prototype with arched ends. New models scheduled for release in March include a black 50-ton AAR stan- Additional end configurations are planned for future releases. dard two-bay open hopper with offset sides lettered for Pittsburgh & Shawmut. Road names on the initial release with flat ends include ATS, Erie, Northern Also coming in March are two PS-1 40’ boxcars. One has a 7’ door and is deco- Pacific, and W&LE. Cars with rated for Western Pacific complete with the famous feather logo, the other is a arched ends will be deco- 1959-era Minneapolis & St. Louis car with an 8’ door. rated for Chesapeake & Ohio, Clinchfield, Montour, and Nickel Minute Man Scale Models (minutemanscalemodels.com) has introduced Plate Road. The ready-to-run their iCar, a unique piece of HO scale rolling stock that cradles an iPhone4. The model will feature metal wire iPhone captures images and video as the car moves along the track. The image is

Page 106 • Jan 2012 MRH Old Yardmaster - Industry scuttlebutt, page 6 Roundhouse Models (roundhousetrains.com) plans to release new versions of its 50’ Overland open-end passenger cars. Upgrades on the HO scale ready-to- run models include wire formed truss rods, new window and clerestory glaz- ing, body-mounted couplers, Commonwealth trucks with a 7’ wheelbase, and 33” machined metal wheelsets. The release, scheduled for August, will be for a single coach, plus a 4-pack consisting of a coach (with a different car number), a passenger-baggage combine, a mail car, and a business car. Road names will be Santa Fe, Virginia & Truckee, Canadian Pacific, and Denver & Rio Grande Western. Individual coaches have an MSRP of $33.98 each. The 4-pack will list at $118.98. reflected through an angled mirror back into the camera’s lens. The cart’s open- Roundhouse has also scheduled an August release date for ready-to-run 36’ frame design allows access to the touch screen and action button while the iPhone is in the cradle. The manufacturer states the car will navigate 18” radius curves. The truss-rod stock cars decorated for Santa Fe, Canadian National, Denver & Rio easily assembled kit comes with InterMountain trucks and Kadee® couplers. It is Grande Western, and Union Pacific. The MSRP will be $27.98. priced at $27.95. A car for the iPhone5 will be available in the future. Sidetrack Laser (side- tracklaser.com) has Motrak Models (motrak- released an HO scale kit models.net) has released for River City Distributors resin coal loads spe- that features a dock that cifically designed for ExactRail’s FMC 4000 can be adapted for trucks cu ft gondola. They are or rail. Intended for use priced at $5.95 for two as a background build- loads. Also new is a cast ing, the kit features laser- Hydrocal® load of real cut structural components, peel ‘n stick roofing material, several detail parts, scrap metal sized for an ExactRail 65’ mill gondola. The load is priced at $7.95 each. Grandt Line windows, special graphics, and a roof top billboard. The HO scale craftsman-style kit sells for $57.95. Vehicles shown are not included. Rapido (rapidotrains. com) has released Walthers several new HO scale (walthers. passenger cars includ- com) is ing VIA Rail Canada scheduled 38-seat Club-series to deliver galley cars. The a 4-car set December release of class R17 also included 6-4-6 subway cars sleepers decorated for decorated in the green livery of MTA/New York City Transit in February. One of CN (wet noodle) Green-series, Chicago & Eastern Illinois Pine-series, NC&StL Pine- the four cars will be powered and ready for standard DC operation. The ready- series, and the Louisville & Nashville Pine-series car shown here. The ready-to-run cars have an MSRP of $69.95. to-run models feature directional and interior lighting, pantograph gates, and ProtoMAX™ metal knuckle couplers. The MSRP of the 4-car set is $249.98.

Page 107 • Jan 2012 MRH Old Yardmaster - Industry scuttlebutt, page 7 Walthers Proto1000™ HO scale model replicates a fleet of 4,000 prototype R17s 1960s. Many are still the St. Louis Car Company built in the 1950s for New York’s Interborough Rapid in service today. In Transit (IRT). addition to the Ann Arbor version shown here, the low nose GP38s will be available for BNSF (blue/ white) , BNSF Patch (blue/yellow), HLCX (red/blue), MKT (green/yellow), and New Haven (black/white/orange. GP40 Late this month, Walthers plans to release a series of 23,000 gallon Funnel- models, with their three distinctive roof-mounted radiator fans, will be available Flow tank cars with new road numbers. The HO scale versions of the distinc- for Kansas City Southern (red/yellow/black), Missouri Pacific (yellow/green/ tive 54’ prototype feature etched-metal walkways and platforms, individual red), Providence & Worcester (brown/red/white), Union Pacific (Armour yel- grab irons, and underbody rigging including train-line brake piping. The loca- low/grey/red), and Western Pacific (brown/orange). Standard DC units will have tion of manways and safety valves are specific to individual road names. Trucks an MSRP of $119.95. Decoder-equipped versions will be $154.95. on the WalthersProto™ series cars are equipped with turned metal wheelsets and ProtoMAX™ metal knuckle couplers. The MSRP is $37.98. Road names on BLMA (blmamodels.com) is selling a this limited edition run include ADMX-ADM, CCLX-Corn Products, CHSX-Harvest package of N scale spine car hitches that States, UTLX, UTLX-Terra, and PROX-Procor as illustrated here with art work. includes ten container pedestals, five col- lapsed hitches, and five raised hitches. N SCALE PRODUCT NEWS The package has a list price of $9.95. The units are assembled, painted, and ready for installation.

Motrak Models has discontinued its line of N scale freight car loads and is liq- uidating all discontinued items at 50% off list price. The items can be viewed New N scale items coming from Athearn (athearn.com) late this summer at Motrak’s eBay store at (stores.ebay.com/Motrak-Models?_trksid=p4340. include this GONX-Rail Gon 52’ mill gondola. Other road names in the release l2563) however, the discount does not apply to items ordered through eBay. To are BN (black body), Canadian National (wet noodle), and CP Rail. The cars will receive the discount, place your order direct at 813-476-4784 or send an email have an MSRP of $23.98. Also coming is an ACF 2970 cu ft hopper car decorated to Motrak owner Jeff Adams at [email protected]. Jeff told MRH he for BNSF, Conrail, Union Pacific, and CSX. The ready-to-run models will have an plans to continue producing his line of structures. MSRP of $26.98. August should also see the arrival of a 53’ bulkhead flat for BN (green body), Norfolk Southern, Soo Line, TTX, and Union Pacific. The MSRP will Sidetrack Laser (side- be $23.98. tracklaser.com) has released an N scale kit Atlas Model Railroad Company (atlasrr.com) will deliver a new series of N scale for River City Distributors GP38 and GP40 locomotives during the second quarter of this year. The N scale that features a dock ready-to-run model replicates EMD’s popular road diesels introduced in the late that can be adapted for

Page 108 • Jan 2012 MRH Old Yardmaster - Industry scuttlebutt, page 8 trucks or rail. Intended for use as a background building, the kit features laser- NEW DECALS, SIGNS AND FINISHING PRODUCTS cut structural components, peel ‘n stick roofing material, several detail parts, Grandt Line windows, special graphics, and a roof top billboard. The N scale craftsman-style kit sells for $47.95. Vehicles shown are not included.

Jerry Glow Decals (home.comcast.net/~jerryglow/decals/) has released HO scale decal sets for this TXI covered hopper. Also new are lettering sets for a W&LE 40’ AAR boxcar as built by ACF, and a Rutland PS-2 boxcar. Kadee released a model of this Rutland car some time ago but currently has no plans to reissue it. Stonebridge Models (stonebridgemodels.com) has cast resin coil cover loads Visit the above website for ordering information. designed to fit Micro-Trains N scale 50’ steel gondola cars. Undecorated loads are priced at $7.99 each. An undecorated Micro-Trains 50’ straight side gondola Microscale (microscale.com) has announced several new and upgraded wet and an undecorated coil cover load is available at $18.45 for both car and load. decal lettering sets in both HO and N scale. Recent releases include Union As illustrated here, decorated loads can also be purchased with a weathered Pacific (UPFE) and REMX Leasing Company 57’ mechanical refrigerator cars from CSX Micro-Trains 50’ fishbelly gondola at $29.60 for both the car and load. Note 1970s forward, Pacific Fruit Express 40’ ice refrigerator cars, Soo Line diesel that the side of the gondola is marked “Coils Only.” locomotives in candy apple red paint scheme, Rio Grande passenger cars including Ski Train and business cars, General Electric data for Dash-9 and AC-4400 diesel locomotives, and BNSF GE ES44DC diesels from 2005 forward. Still under development and expected to be announced soon are decal sets for VIA RAIL F40PH locomotives in the renaissance scheme, C&NW insulated boxcars, and Burlington Northern standard and woodchip gondolas.

Model Rectifier Corporation (MRC) is promoting Italeri brand’s new acrylic paint by offering consumers and dealers a sample of three 20 ml bottles of paint at no charge. Recipients are required to pay $6.50 postage and handling fee. The offer, which expires January 31, 2012, is available to U.S. addresses only. Visit modelrectifier.com for an order form. 

Walthers (walthers.com) is offering this N scale Grand Junction Depot at an MSRP of $29.98. The traditionally-styled combination passenger and freight depot has a DISCLAIMER ..... The opinions expressed in this column are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of Model Railroad Hobbyist foot print of 6.375” x 3.1875” x 1.75” high. It comes fully assembled and ready for or its sponsors. Every effort is made to provide our readers with accurate and responsible news and information, however, neither Model Railroad Hobbyist or the writer of this column can be held responsible for any inaccuracies or typographical errors that may installation. inadvertently appear in this column.

Page 109 • Jan 2012 MRH Old Yardmaster - Industry scuttlebutt, page 9 Selected Events KENTUCKY, LOUISVILLE, January 21-22, Great Train Expo at Kentucky International Convention Center. Info including map at greattrainexpo.com. January 2012 MASSACHUSETTS, WEST SPRINGFIELD, January 28-29, Amherst Railway Society CALIFORNIA, ANAHEIM, January 7-8, Great Train Expo at Railroad Hobby Show, attracting up to 25,000 railfans and model railroad hob- Anaheim Convention Center. Info including map at great- byists with hundreds of manufacturers exhibits and dealer product displays. trainexpo.com. Eastern States Exposition Fairgrounds. Info at railroadhobbyshow.com.

CALIFORNIA, MOUNTAIN VIEW, January 27-29, NMRA NEW YORK, TONAWANDA, January 21-22, and 28-19, Buffalo Model Railroad Pacific Coast Region San Francisco Bay Area Joint Regional Club Open House, featuring a 600 sq ft O scale, and 1200 sq ft HO scale lay- Meet. Panel programs, operations forum, track planning outs. Second Floor of Town Boys & Girls Club, 54 Riverdale Street. Entrance workshops, and clinics on Saturday. Layout visits Friday and Saturday eve- on Edgar Street. Info at buffalocentral.railfan.net, or call 716-871-0212. nings. Operating sessions at local layouts on Sunday. Community Center, 201 OREGON, EUGENE, January 27-29, 33rd Annual Willamette Cascade Model S. Rengstorff Avenue, Mountain View, 94040. Speakers include Dave Clemens, Railroad Club Train Show featuring various layouts operating at Valley River Dennis Drury, Don Marenzi, Jim Providenza, and Tony Thompson. Info at Center Mall. Also Operation Lifesaver Trailer with educational material. Info pcrnmra.org/sigs. from Lee Temple at 541-954-4917 or [email protected]. CALIFORNIA, SACRAMENTO, January 14-15, Great Train Expo at Cal Expo. February 2012 Info including map at greattrainexpo.com. CALIFORNIA, BUENA PARK, February 12, Railroadiana & Transportation Show, FLORIDA, COCOA BEACH, January 5-7, Prototype Rails 2012. Premier RPM huge sale of railroad collectibles, memorabilia, books, and artwork. UFCW Hall, meet hosted by Mike Brock with 80 clinics scheduled. Blue ribbon lineup 8550 Stanton Avenue. Info from Renee Orton at [email protected]. of clinicians include Frank Angstead, Craig Bisgeier, Tom Bissett, Al Brown, Jon Cagle, Jim Cantlay, Ted Culotta, Bill Darnaby, George Eichelberger, John CALIFORNIA, INDIO, February 17-26, Coachella Valley Model Railroaders Greedy, Andy Harman, Jared Harper, Richard Hendrickson, Roger Hinman, Open House during Riverside County Fair & Date Festival, featuring 80 by 16 Larry Kline, Tony Koester, Greg Komar, Jim Lincoln, Tom Madden, Carl foot HO layout operating two-way traffic on over 2500 feet of track. Riverside Marchand, Greg Martin, Lance Mindheim, Jim Murrie, Joe Oates, Steve Orth, County Fair Grounds, 82503 Highway 111. Info at cvmrr.com. Frank Peacock, John Roberts, Mike Rose, Stan Rydarowiz, Antonio Santana, CALIFORNIA, SANTA CLARA, February 9-11, 22nd Annual O Scale West 2012 Bill Schaumburg, Bill Schneider, Jim Singer, Bruce Smith, Andy Sperandeo, (includes 6th Annual S West meet), model displays, vendor displays, movies, Mont Switzer, Chip Syme, Gilbert Thomas Jr., Tony Thompson, Bill Welch, and swap meet, and layout visits. Hyatt Regency. Info at oscalewest.com. John Wilkes. Hilton Hotel (800-526-2609 or 321-799-0003). Info at prototyp- erails.com or contact Mike Brock at [email protected] or 321-453-4140. KANSAS, WICHITA, February 11-12, Train Show & Swap Meet, sponsored by Chisholm Trail Division NMRA and Engine House Hobbies, $6.00 admission ILLINOIS, CHICAGO, January 14-15, World’s Greatest Hobby on Tour at good for both days. Cessna Activity Center, 2744 George Washington Blvd. Schaumburg Convention Center. Info at wghshow.com. Info from Phil Aylward at 316-830-3498, or email [email protected]. INDIANA, INDIANAPOLIS, January 7-8, World’s Greatest Hobby on Tour at MISSOURI, KANSAS CITY, February 18-19, Great Train Expo at American Royal Indiana State Fairgrounds. Info at wghshow.com. Complex. Info including map at greattrainexpo.com. IOWA, COUNCIL BLUFFS, January 28-29, Great Train Expo at Mid-America MISSOURI, SAINT CHARLES, February 4-5, Great Train Expo at Saint Charles Center. Info including map at greattrainexpo.com. Convention Center. Info including map at greattrainexpo.com.

Page 110 • Jan 2012 MRH Old Yardmaster - Industry scuttlebutt, Selected Events, page 10 NEW MEXICO, ALBUQUERQUE, February 16-18, 27th Annual Sn3 CANADA, BRITISH COLUMBIA, SQUAMISH, July 13-15, Pacific Great Eastern Symposium. Ramada of Albuquerque (I-40 at Eubank) 505-296-4853. Info at Railway 100th Anniversary Convention, at CN Roundhouse & Conference Sn3-2012.com. Centre, West Coast Railway Heritage Park, 39645 Government Road, sponsored by PGE-BCR Modellers Group. Clinics, operating layouts, displays, OHIO, DAYTON, February 25-26, Great Train Expo at Hara Arena. Info includ- model contest, prototype displays, and rides on 7.5” gauge “Mini Rail”. ing map at greattrainexpo.com. Info including registration fees and options available from Brian Clogg at [email protected] or phone 604-588-2194. OREGON, PORTLAND, February 25-26, World’s Greatest Hobby on Tour at Oregon Convention Center. Info at wghshow.com CANADA, ONTARIO, OTTAWA, May 5-6, Ottawa Train Expo, featuring layouts, models, displays, clinics, demonstrations, and tours. Billed as the largest train SOUTH CAROLINA, EASLEY, February 4-5, Annual Train Show at J. B. Owens show in Eastern Canada. Carleton University Fieldhouse. Info at ottawatrain- Sports Complex, Bagwell Gymnasium, 111 Walkers Way. Features 150 dealer expo.wordpress.com. tables, operating model railroads, hands-on Thomas the Tank and Junior CANADA, ONTARIO, TORONTO, March 17, Annual Toronto Railway Prototype Railroader activities, and live steam trains. Modellers Meet featuring expert clinicians, unique show-and-tell, and open TEXAS, HOUSTON, February 11-12, Great Train Expo at Reliant Park. Info discussion of displayed items. Humber College, North Campus, Building B, including map at greattrainexpo.com. rooms B201& B202. Info from Brian Gauer at [email protected]. TEXAS, HOUSTON, February 18, Greater Houston Train Show, sponsored by ARIZONA, WINSLOW, April 17-27, Winslow Railroad Days and Arizona State Centennial, prototype displays and operating layouts. At Hubble Trading Post, San Jacinto Model Railroad Club. How to demonstrations, model and photo 523 W 2nd Street. Info at tucsonntrak.com/ASWMRR/ASWMRR_Winslow_ contests, operating layouts, vendor tables. Stafford Centre, 10505 Cash Road. Page.html. Info from sanjac.leoslair.com. CALIFORNIA, BAKERSFIELD, March 10-12th, Golden Empire Historical & UTAH, SALT LAKE CITY, February 4-5, World’s Greatest Hobby on Tour at Modeling Society’s Annual Model Train Show, featuring over 100 dealer South Towne Expo Center. Info at wghshow.com. tables, operating layouts and live steam. At Kern County Fairgrounds, 1142 South ‘P’ Street. Info gehams.net. Future 2012 CALIFORNIA, PERRIS, March 3, Railroadiana and Model Railroad Swap Meet, CANADA, ONTARIO, OTTAWA, May 5-6, Ottawa Train Expo, featuring layouts, at Orange Empire Railway Museum. Southern California’s largest swap meet models, displays, clinics, demonstrations, and tours. Billed as the largest train featuring operating prototype equipment. 2201 S. “A” Street, off Highway show in Eastern Canada. Carleton University Fieldhouse, off Bronson Ave. 215. Info at oerm.org. FLORIDA, Cocoa BEACH, January 5-7, Prototype Rails 2012, premier RPM CALIFORNIA, STOCKTON, March 10, Winterail, Railroad Photography meet hosted by Mike Brock. Hilton Hotel, 1550 N. Atlantic Ave. Call 800-526- Exposition and Railroadiana Show. Scottish Rite Masonic Center. Info at win- 2609 or 321-799-0003 for reservations. terail.com. MASSACHUSETTS, WEST SPRINGFIELD, January 28-29, Amherst Railway ILLINOIS, LOMBARD, March 16-18, Chicago O Scale Meet, layout tours, clin- Society Railroad Hobby Show, attracting up to 25,000 railfans and model ics, model contests and vendor tables. West Lombard Yorktown Center. Info at marchmeet.net. railroad hobbyists with hundreds of exhibits and product displays by manufacturers and dealers. Eastern States Exposition Fairgrounds. Info at railroad- ILLINOIS, SPRINGFIELD, March 8-10, NMRA, Midwest Region, Illinois Valley hobbyshow.com. Division annual convention. Info at railsplitter2012.org. OREGON, MEDFORD, May 2-5, Pacific Northwest Region & Pacific Coast INDIANA, ELKHART, April 13-14, NMRA Michiana Division Symposium, featur- Region / NMRA Siskiyou Summit 2012 Joint Convention. Info at pcrnmra.org/ ing Friday night banquet, clinics, layout tours, and railfanning at National New conv2012/hobos.html. York Central Railroad Museum. Info at fallstonflagstop.com/2011/11/.

Page 111 • Jan 2012 MRH Old Yardmaster - Industry scuttlebutt, Selected Events, page 11 MICHIGAN, GRAND RAPIDS, July 29-August 4, NMRA National Convention PENNSYLVANIA, MALVERN, March 23-25, RPM-Valley Forge Meet, spon- and National Train Show. Info at gr2012.org. sored by NMRA, MER, Philadelphia Division. Model displays, vendor tables, tour and operating session on Sunday. Clinicians include Keith Albright, NORTH CAROLINA, BREVARD, October 12, 13, Narrow Trak 12. Details are Keith DeVault, Ralph DiBlasi, Bruce Elliott, Nick Fry, Jim Harr, Dave Hopson, pending. Larry Kline, Vince Lee, George Losse, Rich Newmiller, Ed Olzewski, and John Teichmoeller. Desmond Great Valley Hotel & Conference Center. Info at OHIO, CINCINNATI, March 10-11, World’s Greatest Hobby on Tour at Duke phillynmra.org/RPMMeet. Energy Center. Info at wghshow.com. WASHINGTON, BELLEVUE, September 12-15, National Narrow Gauge OHIO, CLEVELAND, October 11-14, iHobby Expo, industry annual trade show, Convention. Info at seattle2012.com. IX Center. Future 2013 OHIO, HILLIARD, May 18-20, 4th Ohio N-scale Weekend, hosted by Central AUSTRALIA, MELBOURNE, April 12-14, 13th National Australian N Scale Ohio N-trak. Franklin County Fairgrounds. Info at centralohiontrak.org/. Convention, will be held at Rydges Bell City Event Centre, Preston, OHIO, KIRTLAND, March 17-18, Railfest 2012, NMRA MCR Division 5, oper- Melbourne. Info at convention2013.nscale.org.au or send email to [email protected]. ating layouts, historical displays, live steam display, dealer tables. Lakeland Community College. Info at railfest.org. CALIFORNIA, PASADENA, August 28-31, National Narrow Gauge Convention. Info at 33rdnngc.com. OHIO, MARION, April 12-14, Central Ohio RPM, Marion Union Station. Info at hansmanns.org/meet/. MINNESOTA, BLOOMINGTON, April 25-28, 28th Annual Sn3 Symposium. Info at Sn3-2013.com. OKLAHOMA, TULSA, March 23-25, NMRA, Indian Nations Division 3rd NEW MEXICO, ALBUQUERQUE, June 6-9, Rails Along the Rio Grande 2013, annual Tulsa Area Layout Design and Operations Weekend. Speakers include NMRA Rocky Mountain Region, Rio Grande Division 6, convention with Steve Davis, Tom Fausser, Dick Hovey, John McBee, Lance Mindheim, Dave clinics, layout tours, train show, OpSig sessions, UPRR and BNSF modelers Salamon, and Jim Senese. For details on location and registration visit ldop- showcase night, and banquet. Marriott Pyramid North. Info from Al Hobey sigmeet.tulsanmra.org/. at [email protected].  OREGON, EUGENE, April 21-22, 24th Annual Willamette Cascade Model Railroad Club Swap Meet & Train Show, Events Center at Lane County Fairgrounds, 796 West 13th Avenue. Info from Lee Temple ttandt@ram-mail. com or phone 541-954-4917. PENNSYLVANIA, LANCASTER, October 11-13, 2012 EXPO, at Lancaster Host Resort & Conference Center, includes activities at the Strasburg Railroad and The Pennsylvania Railroad Museum. Additional details are pending. Info at Send us your product modelrailroadexpo.com. announcements PENNSYLVANIA, LEESPORT, August 10-12, 2012 Greater Reading Narrow If you are a hobby manufacturer with a product Gauge Meet, featuring operating displays, dealers, clinics, and demonstra- announcement, just click here and submit your announcement to us. tions. Leesport Farmers Market Banquet Hall, Arlington Drive. (On Route 61, Reader Our web site and free magazine reach accessible from Route 78 and Route 222). Info at nateslightironhobbies.com/ Feedback continues to grow, so get on board with this (click here) narrowgaugemeet.htm. new media train that’s hard to stop!

Page 112 • Jan 2012 MRH Old Yardmaster - Industry scuttlebutt, Selected Events, page 12 REVERSE RUNNING: MRH, the three-year-old wobbly toddler? Stepping outside the box with a contrary view

to use for testing And of course, we’re gaining advertis- format allows us to easily include every issue. ers as well – something that’s critical video content. for you as a reader, since they’re pay- But we never want to sit on our lau- By issue three, we ing the bills. made our online rels, thinking what we’ve done is good Model Railroad News no, no! edition available, The demise of enough. No, We keep asking ourselves how we can do it better. meaning you didn’t seems to have helped MRH get more advertisers now that those who were even have to down- Yes, the tech behind MRH is cool, but advertising in MRN already have an ad load the issue if you that’s the sizzle, not the steak. budget set aside. With the hole left by wanted to read it. MRN, it’s an easy sell to move them Consider this – what if all the model The first year, we to an ad placement in MRH. railroading magazines were free and totally-digital? Would you still prefer did four issues on a This is all goodness. But there’s also MRH? Reader quarterly schedule. Come year two, cause for concern. Feedback we did six issues – one every-other- That’s a question we keep asking our- Three years old is an awkward age. (click here) month. And now as we complete our selves in our MRH staff discussions. It’s really easy to fall on your face if third year, we’ve doubled our annual Being free and all-digital must never you’re not careful. — by Joe Fugate output to twelve issues, one every be the main reason model railroaders month … whew! It’s been great that MRH is all-digital, read MRH. RH is three years old! but we soon won’t be alone. The It’s been an interesting We must produce such a quality prod- The good news is we’ve got a rhythm other hobby magazines are showing journey so far, trying to uct that even if every hobby maga- down now on how to do the monthly signs of providing a digital version. get this new totally digital eZine for magazine thing. Hooray for that! zine were digital and free our readers Mmodel railroading strong enough to True, we do have the fact MRH is would still prefer MRH. If we can stand up and walk on its own. And we’re growing as well. We hit an free. But low quality and free is no answer this question well by provid- all-time record in November of 50,852 bargain. ing can’t-do-without-it-content, then Issue one was both a triumph and unique visitors to our web site in a being free and all-digital becomes just something of a minor disaster. We We continue to get positive feedback single month. Plus, we’re adding 400- icing on the cake, as it should be! immediately found Adobe’s claims about how we make an article as long 500 net new subscribers each month. about Flash being ubiquitous were as it needs to be to explain the sub- This is where you, our loyal readers, not entirely true. We got bitter com- ject well. can help. What kind of content in I say “net” because we do have a few plaints from Mac users that they MRH would make it a must-read for who unsubscribe each month, mostly And readers like that we do our click- could not read MRH. you, even if all the model railroading because they lose interest in the n-spin animations and that we put magazines were free and digital? We quickly created the “Flashless” hobby. And every so often, we’re told in video demonstrating techniques. standard edtion using less “bleeding a subscriber is deceased (fortunately, Sometimes show is way more effec- Click the reader feedback button and edge” technology, and we got a Mac that’s infrequent, but it does happen). tive than tell, and our digital media give us your thoughts. 

Page 113 • Jan 2012 MRH Reverse Running Commentary Clickable Advertiser Index Page Clickable Advertiser Index Page Clickable Topic Index Page Accu-Lites ...... 41 Railpub ...... 56 Benchwork - Up the Creek ...... 23 Amherst Railway Society ...... 22 Ring Engineering ...... 47 DCC - DCC Impulses ...... 43 BLMA ...... 3 Railroad Kits/FOScale ...... 42 Editorial - Editors Soapbox ...... 8 Bullfrog Snot ...... 56 Rapido Trains ...... 7 Editorial - Reverse Running ...... 113 Con-Cor ...... 9 Rusty Stumps ...... 56 First look - ESU passenger car lighting ...... 58 Dallas Model Works ...... 9 Rulers of the World ...... 56 First look - RailPro ...... 52 DCC by Design ...... 56 Scenic Express ...... 27 Layouts - The Columbia River N Scale club ...... 90 Digitrax ...... 15 The Scotty Mason Show ...... 47 News – January Newsletter ...... 101 ExactRail ...... 5 Southern Digital ...... 11 News – January Events ...... 110 Fast Tracks ...... 10 TAM Valley Depot ...... 50 Operations - Getting Real ...... 34 Frenchman River Model Works ...... 17 Traintek ...... 21 Operations - Simple Car Card System ...... 79 iwata-Medea ...... 26 True Line Trains ...... 33 Q and A – MRH Questions, Answers, and Tips .. 16 Litchfield Station ...... 38 True Scene Modeling ...... 56 Rolling stock – Modeler’s Workbench ...... 75 Micro-Mark ...... 56 Walthers...... 4 Structures – Photo Wallpaper for Structures .. 60 Microscale ...... 37 Yankee Dabbler ...... 46 Structures – Simple Rail Barge ...... 82 Model Trains Video ...... 57 ——————————————————————————— M.T.H...... 18 Other – Cover ...... 1 MynaBay.com ...... 12 Other – MRH Sponsors ...... 2 Nano-Oil.com ...... 19 Other – Table of Contents ...... 6 NCE ...... 51 Other – Staff Notes ...... 11 RailMaster Hobbies ...... 20 Other – Hobby Marketplace ...... 56 Other – Derailments ...... 115 For the love of model trains

Coming in the Feb 2012 issue

How to make realistic winter trees Mico-LED modeling tricks Derailments, humor, 22 stories up - Backdrops! Build an out-of-service train-order signal and Dashboard on Module-construction cradle Next Modular Adventure installment ... and lots more! next page ▶

Page 114 • Jan 2012 MRH Index • Coming next issue Derailments Toggle Full Screen humor (allegedly)

 Printer-Friendly Version

 Download PDF Version

Exit Document

Dad, when do you get your loco back from the shop? When talking to A woman called in asking about a travel package to Hawaii. After going over the cost information, she observed, “Wouldn’t it be cheaper to fly to California and then take Amtrak to Hawaii?” hobby vendors,

What do you call a country that lacks a modern cell phone network? “Technologically backward” please remember What do you call a country that lacks a fully-integrated banking system? ”Economically underdeveloped.” What do you call a country that lacks a well-connected passenger train system? “United States of America” to mention MRH.

If you’re the first to submit a bit of good Reader humor and we use it, it’s worth $10! Feedback (click here)

Page 115 • Jan 2012 MRH Derailments • Dashboard